The Sacred Sword
by Colin Siridean
Summary: Gumball volunteered himself in a Student Exchange Program to England unwillingly as he didn't expect Carrie too. As they arrived, Gumball was urged to a place by an unknown force as he soon uncovered a story and a war that will take place in the capital of the country. Prequel to "The Seven Deadly Sins" series
1. Chapter 1

Faint light shined into the siblings' room through the window. "HURRY! WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!" shouted Darwin, trying to wake Gumball up. Darwin slapped him, nudged him, poked him, jumping on him; but he continued to sleep.

*Honk!*

"The bus has arrived!" shouted Nicole before she goes to work in her uniform with rainbow factory pin on it.

"Darn! Should I leave him?" Darwin thought. "This is the first day of school..."

"Com'on Darwin, we're late," Lexy said, bustling her way down the stairs.

Darwin decided to leave him in his cosy bed and darted out of the house. Lexy and Darwin have boarded the bus. Anais was studying in college already while her siblings studying in Elmore Senior High. 5 minutes have passed; Nicole had gone to work while Gumball just woke up. He glanced at the time and noticed the time, displayed numeric digital number of seven fifty-five; five more minutes before school starts.

He sprung out the bed, hastened to get dressed and brushed his teeth. Afterwards, he left the house leaving Richard alone watching his television on his favorite sofa. Gumball greeted morning before he left. There's no way he could make it to school in just 4 minutes from his house except doing a restless running.

Without any option, he got in a sprinting posture. Bum lifted high with the perfect position of the legs and arms. He lunged forward; begin to sprint without stopping while dodging everything in his way. 4 minutes later, he was catching his breath in front of the school at the same moment the bell rang. The bus only arrived a second late than him.

"Did you rush to school?" Colin asked with Penny, Darwin, and Lexy around him, looking at Gumball, pitying that he didn't caught the bus.

"Yes I did...on second thought, I'm freaking tired," Gumball gasped, catching some air as he's breathing heavily.

Sooner later, he felt a bit better and they entered the school. Carrie glanced at him, averted her eyes instantly and blushed for uncertain reason.

"Okay class, I will be teaching you about the fundamental of sociology," said Mr. Green, their lecturer, wearing a pair of glasses in his middle age.

Everything shouted inside their heart, "Nooooo!" implying that it would be boring from the beginning to the end of the period. Gumball gazed out of the window from his seat; third row counting vertically. He stared at blank space without thinking anything, boredom established in his mind. He turned away from the window, looking at Jason. "Psst! Psst!" He hissed silently so that he won't get Mr. Green's attention.

Jason was sitting at the same row as Gumball only two tables away. Gumball uttered at him few more times until he caught his attention. " _What?_ " Jason raised his eyebrows for response.

"Any? Pal," Gumball signalled, communicating with his hands and eyes.

"False alarm?" Jason suggested, thinking of escaping the boredom-ness of Mr. Green lectures.

"No," Gumball shook. "Remember what happened last time?" This time he whispered silently.

They recalled the incident. Jason flicked a small piece of rubber and accidentally hit the alarm bell outside of the class. Everyone was driven with chaos as they tried to run out of the school only to realise that there is no fire. Gumball, Jason, Lexy and Colin were the only left sitting in the classroom. Gumball and Jason got detention for the rest of the day because of their mischievous act. Gumball gave the suggestion while Jason caused the school in turmoil.

"Oh…. Then?" Jason whispered back.

"How about we sneak out of the class by going to the bathroom? 20 minutes left before recess-"

Mr. Green's cell phone rang. He stopped his lecture and pulled it out. The ringing stopped; Mr. Green received a message from the principal as he viewed it. He slides his cell phone back into his pocket, "Okay everyone!" He silenced the classroom. "Principal Harlow wanted a volunteer for the Exchange Student Program from this class." He said.

Gumball suddenly lifted his right hand without hesitation. Briefly later, he only then noticed. He tried to lift down but it was too late.

"Gumball Watterson. So, you want to volunteer, eh? Well, come with me to the principal's office" the bell rang right after Mr. Green finished his words.

Mr. Green left the classroom. "Gumball, are you serious?" Lexy doubted.

"I have no idea...I tried to lift down but something is forcing me to do so as if someone was controlling me," Gumball responded with a breath of disbelief. "Welp, I'll leave first."

Gumball walked out of the class and to Principal Harlow's office. When he arrived, he saw a grey shaded girl outside the door's window. He turned the knot and entered only to notice it was actually Carrie with a more feminine look, curved body, long, slightly curvy hair like usual, some covered one of her eye.

"Hey...," Gumball greeted.

Carrie greeted back. "Okay..., you two are from the front class," Principe Harlow confirmed. "Both of you will volunteer the Student Exchanging Program to London apparently. The time of your departure would be at afternoon 12 o'clock on Saturday. Any question asks."

"Erm...how many days will we stay there?" Gumball questioned.

"About 3 to 5 months. Any more question?"

"Where will we stay?" Carrie asked.

"A house has been provided for you by the Milestone High School. Every needed has been acquired without cost of electricity and water or anything."

"Oh,"

"That's all I know. Well, go back and tell your parents about this. I'm happy if they agreed to allow you two to volunteer. You may now go back to study." Gumball and Carrie left the office, each glancing at each other intimately.

"Why would you want to volunteer yourself?" Carrie started.

"My hand lifted up suddenly and an unearthly force wouldn't allow me to pull down my hand," Gumball explained.

"That's sound unrealistic...," Carrie said.

"This is Elmore. Everything here is mostly weird and unexplainable," Gumball asserted.

"Yeah...that might be true. Anyway, see you later," Carrie agreed as she reached her classroom. The two exchange a farewell as Carrie walked into her class.

"Argh! What the!? My forearm-," Gumball felt a sharp pain in his forearm, like a boiling hot water had been poured onto it. The pain swiftly faded away as he continued to his class and continued his study with his friends.

The recess bell rang. Gumball, Lexy, Jason and Colin went to the canteen. They held a tray filled with a sandwich, a small box of milk and a plate of salad. After finding a place and sat down, they started eating.

"So, where are you leaving to?" Colin asked.

"London," Gumball replied.

"When?" Lexy continued.

"This Saturday twelve o'clock in the afternoon."

"For how long you're leaving?" Jason asked.

"3 to 5 months, Principal Harlow said by himself."

While Gumball was about to take a spoon on his tray to consume the salad, Lexy noticed there's a scar on his above his forearm. She then asked about it. Gumball told her that he didn't know he got a scar before. Gumball feel the scar with his other hand, it's still fresh. Gumball then remembered he felt the surge of pain when he's on his way back to classroom.

"Weird…," Jason uttered.

"Hey Darwin," Lexy called as she saw him, walking towards their direction with his food.

Darwin joined them at the table. Chattering and laughter feel their atmosphere. The bell rang again as recess ended. They all went to their own classroom and continued study. Gumball spent his whole time looking at the scar. Suddenly, another strip appeared instantly. It's much more like a tattoo than a scar the more he observed at it.

"Gum…ball…," an indistinct voice stammered beside his ear.

He turned, looking around for the people who call his name but couldn't tell who actually called him. He then focused on the lecture, unwanted to know about the scar or tattoo at the back of his right forearm

After school ended, everyone went home – do the things they liked for the most.

"Okay, Gumball. By my calculation, you should be able to fly with this soda jetpack for roughly 'bout 5 minutes," Lexy said.

Gumball, Lexy, and Darwin continued their misadventure. They were on a cliff, testing out their personally designed soda jet pack.

"Are you sure?" Gumball asked, feeling uncertainty.

"Yes I am. Don't worry. This cliff isn't so high after all," Lexy replied. The cliff was actually approximately 500 meters from the bottom. One slippery step could kill them or break several of their bones.

Lexy signalled at Darwin as he pushed him down. Gumball panicked, his face turned pale as he wasn't ready to be push down the cliff, yet. He yelled in terror. Lexy shouted to him, telling him to open the cap of the soda. He pulled the string that supposed to use to open the cap but been separated into two. "IT'S USELESS!" He shouted back.

He tries to open the cap manually with his hand, which he managed. He soda pushed off like burning jet fuel.

"It work!" Lexy and Darwin were in relieve.

Gumball performed a 360-degree spin, leaving a trail of soda as if like gases used in aerobatic. He spun above his siblings then circling a portion of the forest under the mountain. A spectacular view indeed but worst thing always comes after it. Lexy wondered how he's going to get down safely. "Gumball! Come back! The soda is running out," Lexy yelled.

"Huh," Gumball turned and looked the volume of the liquid, almost finished. He quickly rushed to the cliff. Hardly at the very last distance, he thought he was going to make it but the bottle drained out only a few meters from the cliff, causing him to fall from the sky. His siblings screamed his name in terror and darted down the cliff.

Before a few meters for him to reach the ground, he felt the sharp pain again on his forearm; a finishing touch of line burned on the scar.

Gumball ignored that and hoped that he would be alive after reaching the ground, diving down with his head. The strips emitted a faint light. As he caught a glimpse of it, it glows even brighter and something unexpected happened...


	2. Chapter 2

Purple light aura covered his whole body. His eyes shut tightly, screaming in fear as he's going to hit the ground. A few meters before he hits the ground, a bubble formed, covering him as it extended the time to crush at the ground. The bubble touched the ground and bounced for a few times before popped. The runes on his forearm disappeared all of a sudden, probably hidden in his skin. He's still screaming until he noticed he was already on the ground.

"Gumball!" Lexy and Darwin rushed down to him.

"Huh. What the what!? Why am I fine...?" Gumball muttered, looking himself unhurt after falling down a cliff which could have killed him long ago.

"We're glad you're all right," they group hugged for a while before released.

Gumball glimpsed at his forearm, "Strange...I could've sworn there's something there," he thought as Lexy snapped him off.

"Let's go home," Lexy said. The siblings went home.

As they entered the house, Candy was sitting upside down while watching the television with Richard. "Hey guys," Richard greeted, eyes focused on the screen.

"Hey dad," they greeted back.

"So, back there, what happened?" Darwin asked.

"Hm. I'm not sure because I have my eyes closed," Gumball replied, shrugged as they're marching up the stairs and to their room while Lexy joined Candy and Richard to watch television.

Nicole came home with a bag of groceries as she set it on the table of the kitchen. Candy went to help her on preparing the dinner. Gumball just finished his bath after been soaked by soda; he went down the stairs and to the kitchen.

"Hi, mum," Gumball said.

"How's school?" Nicole asked.

"Fine I guess. Also, I involved in a Student Exchange Program in school," Gumball replied.

"That's great!" Nicole said proudly, "This is a great opportunity to experience something new."

"So, where are you exchanging to?" She continued while washing her hand.

"London. Mum," Gumball replied.

"I didn't know you would take part in such an event," Candy jested, emerging from behind him.

"What makes you say that?" Gumball snickered.

"Well...before, you always ignore every event of the school and do the things you like."

"That was before. I wanna' try something new like going to another country."

"Kay...I'm out of words."

Not long after, the family sat in the dining table and started eating their food prepared by Nicole and Candy. Nicole started, "When will you leave?" She asked Gumball while chewing her food.

*Gulp*

"Saturday," Gumball replied, swallowed the food in his mouth.

"Where are you leaving son?" Richard asked with his mouth full.

"London, dad," Gumball responded, putting a small chunk of roasted chicken meat in his mouth.

"Are you going to destroy the Big Ben clock?" Richard said, "COUNT ME IN!"

"No, dad," Gumball sighed.

"Richard, don't talk with your mouth full," Nicole pleaded.

They finished their meals. The siblings went to their room. Gumball returned from the bathroom after brushing his teeth. When he's in the bedroom, he wondered where the scar on his forearm as it just vanished and looked like nothing happened. Gumball looked at the mirror, Zach flashed for a blink second in the mirror.

"No! We swear to never play Dodj or Daar anymore," Gumball shouted when Darwin fished out the game under the bed.

"Remember last time?" Candy muttered.

"The whole neighbourhood would have been destroyed if we didn't end the game," Lexy continued.

"At least everything is fine by now," Darwin said.

"Nah, it took two years of repair," Gumball said, "There're still some places under construction."

"Alrigh," Darwin convinced, pushed the game back to its place.

"Let's get some sleep," Lexy suggested.

Everyone agreed. As everything went silent, they got into their bed and sleep. Lexy and Candy were sharing a bed in another room while Darwin with Gumball as always in their double-decker bed.

Gumball was dreaming in his sleep. He saw Zach with his back facing at him, holding a knife in his right paw. Dante, whom was adopted by the Watterson as a favour of saving them; had appeared in front of Gumball after missing for a year. Dante uttered some words but no sound was coming out, only his lip was moving.

"Help me…?" Gumball tried to read the movement of his lip.

Dante finished and faded in a wave of glittering dusts or sands. Zach immediately lunged forward to him with the knife, waking him up from his sleep.

Gumball gasped, "Dante…Zach…," he uttered silently, avoid waking Darwin up.

The scar on his forearm reappeared. He glimpsed at it and then swiftly and silently rushed to the bathroom. "What the hell is this!?" He thought.

"Kid, you have woken up," the scar talked.

"It talk!" Gumball shocked.

"Duh! Of course I can talk. What do you think I am?"

"Simple pathetic scar that burned on my skin randomly. Eye-catching," Gumball blurted.

"You're the one pathetic. I'm Cain, an Ancient rune that was created to defend devils and monsters," the scar said.

"Yeah…yeah…yeah. Indeed, you _are_ more pathetic than me," Gumball reasoned. "Proof it to me that you're an ancient rune or something, whatcha' call it."

The rune flashed in dazzling blue light. His sight gains the effect to see through walls for a short amount of time before returning normal. "Now you satisfy?" Cain said.

"Slightly but no," Gumball replied.

"Argh! How can I make you believe me?" Cain jested.

"If you could make me jump down from a mountain without dying or suffering any injuries and standing on my feet, then only I'll satisfy."

"Fine. No big deal," Cain agreed.

Gumball ventured into The Forest of Doom as he climbed up the tallest mountain. "Okay, this is the tallest mountain in Elmore," Gumball said, breathing heavily after exhausting his energy on climbing the mountain.

"Just jump. I swear you won't die," Cain demanded.

Gumball was hesitating, his legs worn off and shaking like a vibrating jelly. "Scare? You can always take back what you have said and admit it that I'm an Ancient rune," Cain laughed.

"Oh yeah? You think I'm scared? Watch me. "Gumball closed his eyes and jumped down the cliff. It was dark, the land was covered in shadow and only illuminated by the faint light of the moon.

During the fall, Gumball felt an intense adrenaline pumped into his blood. His blood pump faster than before as he reached the ground; a loud explosion caused, the ground cracked slight as Gumball stood on his feet. Dust covered him but slowly blown away by the night breeze. "Okay. I'm satisfy," Gumball acknowledged.

"Finally..." Cain muttered.

"Now you should get home. It's almost morning and everyone will notice you are missing." He continued.

Gumball agreed as he went home. It was dawn roughly about six-fifty in the morning when Gumball got home. Cain disappeared from his forearm before catching people's suspicion.

"You're quite early today, Gumball," Nicole said, walking downstairs to do her house choirs as always.

Gumball greeted his mom good morning as he went to take a shower. Cool water gushed down his sweaty body. "Why do I have this scar..." he wondered under the shower head.

"You were chosen to born with it because you got potential. Not all people have this luck and there's only three created runes including me." Cain explained.

"So, I'm a descendant or inheritance..." Gumball mumbled, turning off the shower. He covered his lower body with a towel and walked out of the bathroom as Lexy used next.

Before Lexy steps into the bathroom, she asked Gumball, "Who are you talking to?"

Gumball stopped, "Erm...myself." He said, removing the nervousness in his voice.

Lexy then shut the door without saying much. "That was close!"

"You should talk with your thoughts," Cain suggested.

"I know. Just that, I'm not use to it."

Moments later, the sun has risen from the horizon. Dim light shone across the land as the family members of the Watterson all woke up and had their breakfast. Nicole went to work with her usual uniform with the rainbow factory badge. Gumball and his siblings were on the bus on their way to school.

"Gumball. Did you knock your head today?" Darwin suddenly asked. Gumball was sitting at the left side of the bus, last second row near the window as Darwin sat beside him. Lexy was sitting at the opposite side of them by herself, beside the pathway of the bus.

"Why would you say that?" Gumball asked, cool sweat dripped down his forehead.

"You woke up a bit too early today…," Lexy cut in.

"I was…a bit thirsty! That's all," Gumball retorted.

"You're lying," Lexy knew it from the look of his eyes.

"Alright…alright, I went out jogging around the neighbourhood. Better?"

"Hm…," Lexy stared into his eyes, trying to mine the lies out from it.

"Sounds trustable," Darwin interrupted. Lexy stopped as she looked out of the window panel.

"Hm…have to say that yours alter ego, Zach, is back," Cain talked in Gumball's thought.

"What!? How? He had disappeared after I officially changed my name to 'Gumball'. That can't be possible," Gumball responded in shock.

"The good news is, he's not in Elmore; as for the bad news is, he's in London, waiting for you," Cain reported.

"Ain't going to believe that…" Gumball insisted.

"Then, explain to me what you'd saw in your dream; Zach was holding a knife and was trying to kill you," Cain argued.

Gumball was left speechless at Cain. He's right on every point. His siblings were looking at him, wondering what he was doing with all the expression he did while talking to Cain. "Erm? What are those looks on you guys?" he asked after noticing them watching at him.

"Nothing," the siblings replied in unison. Darwin and Lexy returned to their chattering while Gumball continued with Cain.

Sooner or later, they arrived at the school. Rocky opened the bus's door, allowing everyone to exist the bus. When Gumball stepped down from the bus, he saw Carrie floating alone into the school.

"You like her, don't you…?" Jason whispered behind him while they were entering the school.

Gumball turned to him and freaked out, "Dude your eyes!?"

"Yeah…I stayed all night playing video games and came to school afterwards," Jason yawned with little spirit.

"Go back home and get some rest dude. You are like a walking dead under the daylight…," Gumball suggested.

"I will. In class."

They continued to their class as they sat in their seat. Jason immediate fall asleep after getting to his seat. During the first period, Gumball was talking to Cain while staring out of the window.

"Gumball Watterson! Stand up and answer my question," Mr. Blue yelled, the Physic lecturer for their class.

"Huh. What?" Gumball shocked.

"What is the meaning of Physic?" Mr. Blue questioned.

Darwin and Lexy looked at him nervously, thinking that he would not be able to answer it but somehow he managed.

"The science of matter and energy and of interaction between the two, grouped by traditional fields such as acoustics, optics, mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, as well as in modern extensions including atomic and nuclear physics, cryogenics, solid-state physics, particle physics, and plasma physics." Gumball blurted, without any knowledge about it.

Everyone jaws dropped, Lexy and Darwin were surprised and even himself was shocked. "That's quite detailed but thanks. You can sit," Mr. Blue impressed on Gumball's informative explanations.

Gumball glanced outside and then focus on Mr. Blue lecturing even though it was boring for him. Jason hasn't been noticed yet as he was sleeping in sitting posture with his head tilt down.

"How do I know how to answer that?" Gumball wondered.

"I inserted the knowledge into your tiny brain also enhancing it." Cain explained, "You should thank me."

"Yea...yeah, thanks for helping." Gumball thanked.

Suddenly, the same voice whispered to his ear from yesterday. "Gumball..." weak and distorted tone. He realized there's no one calling his name as the bell rang for recess.

After he left the classroom with his friends, a clearer voice emitted. "I'm...back," a shadowy figure stammered with the eyes of a ferocious Viking before fading away.

Somehow I felt pissed off at Gumball as if I was Cain myself trying to make him believe me I'm an unrealistic being. Cain probably changed his personality compared to the original and also Gumball because I wanted to match his 'casual personality' and slowly changing bit by bit. OCs credited to their respective owner.


	3. Chapter 3

A _beast_ was restrained in a dungeon by a thick silver chain; hibernating as a fury of monstrosity ready to erupt in its awaken. Its head was chained as well as its arms and legs; the back was pierced with metal bolt that tightens a metal plate so that his strength was minimized. The perimeter of the dungeon was surrounded with watchtowers, outside the perimeter is a cliff with only a passage linked to the dungeon. The height was unknown, one step down the cliff might probably took your life instantly.

The dungeon's location is a secret. Only the stuff that runs the dungeon know their way to there. It was midnight, a guard will patrol around the confinement zone to keep the _prisoners_ or mostly they're not actual prisoners, in check. He walked to the _beast_ cell and flashing his flashlight around it. The beast was still hibernating; heavy breath can be heard from his distance. After checking, he walked to other cell.

At the same moment, the beast awakens from hibernation as it managed to undo the bolt that pierced into its flesh. One by one dropping from his back with a metallic sound. Fresh blood ran down his skin. The guard ran back to its cell only to find it missing with blood covered metal plate and chains. He opened into the cell and check from left to right - every direction with his flashlight. Suddenly, blood dripped down his shoulder.

He turned slowly in fear. The ray of his flashlight slowly changing direction as it almost reached the creature's face. It jerked its tail at him, knocking him away to the corner of the cell and escaped. "Er...my stomach...," he stood up, holding his stomach. Sooner later, only then, he noticed the creature was missing.

He slammed a button next to his pants; sounding the alarm. The dungeon filled with panic, everyone was searching for the creature. Lucky or unfortunate, one of the stuff member that was equipped with a machete and a customized dual-barrel revolver, probably a hunter.

"I was waiting for this day...to come," he muttered to the creature as it growled back to him.

He heaved his revolver beside his left arm, aiming at the creature with bursting shots. It took a few shots at first, but something grew from his body - a third eye as it started dodging the projectiles.

"Evolve? What a child's play!" He provoked, unconcerned about the danger.

The creature lunged at the hunter as he pulled his machete out from his right hip. Several swipes but was blocked. Small fragments of the blade came out, implying that the creature's claws evolved or enhanced.

"This is something new," Titan's face was in front of him between its claws and his blade. He took a close inspection on the claws. Purple line running through the side and sharper than a polished blade but stronger.

What the hunter didn't know that its tail has sneaked behind him, pierced directly right through his heart and threw him several meters away ending his life in the process. It then crashed through the wall of the dungeon and fell down the cliff.

"This is bad," the owner of the dungeon said. He was old and wearing a one sided glass at his left eye. He reached the scene a few seconds late with two men behind him. He stared out the breach, trouble distended in his mind. "Report to Sky Eye headquarter immediately. Tell him that Titan has escaped." He commanded.

The two men left swiftly after his command.

* * *

"Gumball, I meant seriously. Do you eat something weird today?" Colin blurted.

"No, why?" Gumball chewed a green pee.

"You're acting weirder than usual today."

"Psst, no..." Gumball assured. Everyone looked at him; Jason, Colin, and Lexy. Darwin left earlier as he had some matters to attend while Carrie didn't join them.

"Right." Lexy agreed. "The time when you talk to yourself on the bus and also the time when you told the meaning of physics even though you have no clue of it."

"Er...," Gumball was in cold sweat, thinking about how he's going to put everything up in his sentence.

"I-" before he could finish the sentence the bell rang. He thought he had escaped but no. "Tell us on the road back to our class," she said.

While walking back, Gumball had the time to sort everything out. "I was wondering about something on the bus and luckily. I also searched the meaning of physics yesterday out of curiosity," Gumball explained confidently because one mistake on his facial expression could expose the lies.

Lexy observed his face but he remained his carefree and cheerful expression; smiling and unconcerned 'bout the surrounding. "What are you wondering then? Your desolated life?" Jason blurted as they almost reached their classroom.

"Tell me. Since when my life miserable?" Gumball replied. Lexy stopped as they sat on their seat but still continue until their teacher came in.

"What should we learn today?" He worn a sluggish trousers with a sun logo Tee-shirt. His hair was fuzzy and also wearing a thin rimless glasses.

The four first expression was apathetic, judging from their teacher's appearance excluding the beak.

"Is he really our teacher?" Jason whispered to Gumball and Lexy.

"Maybe," The twins replied in unison.

Colin checked his time table. It was English language. Then, he turned to them. "He's either good at sharing jokes or telling stories."

"Before we start, let me remind you of something," he said. "I'm quite lazy on teaching without excitement. You must hand in all the assessments I gave on time. And lastly and foremost, you won't be regretting learning in my class."

"Yup. He must be good at sharing jokes and stories while teaching." Jason muttered, agreed to what Colin said.

"At least it would keep you awake," Gumball joked.

"Watch me..." Jason implied with his expression.

"Okay, let's start our class. Do you ever wonder why some people dress a donkey literally?"

"If you don't know, then, neither do I. If the owner thinks it's fashionable on donkey, then he must be as swag as a donkey."

"Okay, his jokes are cold as the atmosphere of the North Pole," Jason sighed as he tried to doze off.

He then held a book from his table and showed to everyone. "We would be studying this novel titled, "King's Crown" next time. Right now, I have something to attend. So, you guys better behave," he finished as he took his things and left.

The class turned like a playground all of sudden. Gumball, Lexy, Jason, and Colin joined together on a table(usually Gumball's) and started to chat.

"Why...just how did Titan escaped from his prison?" the teacher muttered through the mic of his one sided earphone.

"It finished hibernating and begin to find the source," explained a voice from a person over the contact.

"The source? We thought we had abandoned that case long ago."

"Look, Frank. The case was reopened not long ago. Whether he was going for the source or not. We need to have him traced down. Do you get it?"

"Affirmative," the blue light indicator on the earphone dismissed, implying the call ended.


	4. Chapter 4

**After school…**

"Hey Gumball, do you have a penny?" Darwin asked.

"Huh? Of course. Here take it," Gumball tossed it to Darwin.

"What are you going to do with it?" he asked.

"Watch…" Darwin held it in his right hand, tightening it and then he threw it directly at the window.

Gumball was shocked. He looked at the window but it did not shatter or any broken sound was make. He looked at Darwin again as he unfolded his hand, revealing the penny.

"Cool right?" Darwin said.

Gumball clapped as he said, "Indeed. Yes it does. But, can you do this?" he closed his right paw and flicked his left fingers. The penny disappeared from Darwin.

"Eh. What the!?" Darwin was surprised as he saw the penny disappeared from his hand.

Gumball opened his right paw, "stealing" the penny from Darwin magically. "Looking for this?" he said, showing it to Darwin.

"Hm…you got me. Try this…," Darwin smirked as he focused his eyes on the penny, his nerves popping out of his head, as the penny slowly floating upward from his brother's hand and slowly set down

"I'm impressed and since when you learn how to do psychic?" Gumball asked.

"By ignoring some portion of the law of physics and increasing my brain capacity, allowing me to bypass normal human brain capacity which is only ten to twenty percent," Darwin replied.

"I'm more curious about how you get so smart all of a sudden…" Gumball said while rubbing his chin.

"The same way."

"Hm…my turn!" Gumball shouted. "Oh lord, may this penny walk to my hand!" he chanted. The penny flipped to the ground as it rolls towards Gumball and then bounced back to him.

"The heck! You whisper to coins?" Darwin yelled.

"Let's stop this; if not, we will break the fabric of time and space." Gumball said.

"I agree. We had gone too far. Anyway, have to go. I have to meet Clayton right now to finish a school assessment. See ya," Darwin finished as he left the room, leaving his feline brother alone.

"Left you and me now…" Gumball muttered.

The rune reappeared on his right arm again, as it glows in a dim blue light. "Let's get this straight. I was the one that lifted your hand two days ago. More importantly, there is an upcoming war about to happen in London." Cain said.

"Your point is that you wanted me to take part in the war? Like I will! My life is more important than anything else," Gumball argued.

"You wanna endanger everyone in the world? I cannot tolerate your behavior. I even wonder who set this prophecy about me being with you. Let me tell you something, if we did not win the war, your friends and family will be kill too. Think about it," Cain countered.

"Er. Wha-what can I do? You don't expect me fight by myself!"

"Do I tell you that you are fighting alone?"

"No…?"

"The reason I lifted your hand that day was because you have to gather the other who holds the Ancient Rune in London."

"How many left?" Gumball asked, crawling up to his bed as he lied on it, looking blankly at the wooden surface of the bed above him.

"Two."

"And how many of them we are going to fight?"

"Over hundred," Cain asserted.

"That's insane! There is no way we are going to win the fight," Gumball said

"You still haven't discover what power lies inside "us"," said Cain as small light cyan particles of energy flowing around Gumball, swirling around his right arm then around his body. Swiftly the color of the particles changed to golden, yellow orange.

"The fire element; your rage, desire, hatred and also braveness. Fire is a strong element that existed in many aspects of a person's heart and cannot be distinguish easily or muchly refer as strong will similar to the element of earth," before Cain could finish explaining the aspects of each elements(fire, water, earth and wind), Gumball interrupted him, "Cut the nonsense and teach me!"

His eyes blinking like a pair shining diamond, one that cannot say no to it other than yes. "If you insist, first of, you must learn how to control yourself, if not there's no telling what would happen." Cain's idea was to alter Gumball's happy-go-lucky personality, so that everything will be a lot easier in the future. However, it wasn't a simple task for him to change it immediately.

"How?" Gumball inquired.

"Meditation is the best solution or staying calm in every situation also can," Cain replied.

"Bruh. Complete lame and why is meditation the best solution?"

"Meditation allows you to calm your mind or inner state, relaxing everything in your body. This method can also be used to train the element of water in the process."

"Is there any other way?" Gumball asked.

"No, there isn't. Can you be somewhat less stubborn and listen to me for once!?" Cain shouted in Gumball's empty mind.

"Fine…" Gumball satisfied finally.

"Adelius…why am I stuck with this stubborn kid…" Cain sighed and mumbled to probably his predecessor, as Gumball sit in a meditating position on his bed and begin meditation, only to quit in five seconds because of boringness.

"Tell me how I can teach this troublesome blue cat…," Cain mumbled.

"Calm down, Cain. Every people takes time to realize themselves and not by forcing them. Let him meditate and teach him slowly about everything," whispered a royalty and soft voice to Cain.

Cain was surprised when he heard the voice. "Master Adelius…is that you?" he whispered back but only to find no reply. Cain then thought it was just a memory he heard in the past when he was with his former processor. He slowly acknowledged what he was been told while observing Gumball only then he realized Gumball was a unique child. "Now I get it. Thank you, Adelius."

Small spark of flame emitted from Gumball's right paw. "Look Cain! I did it," Gumball said, surprising Cain expectation.

"That's not even the basic of wielding the element of fire, but well done. Keep it up." Cain replied.

The whole evening, Gumball was practicing how to make a bigger spark of fire and Cain was observing him. As Titan, the evolving monster, was seeking its way to find "the source" and a team was tracking its pace.

"Rubbish, bunch of rubbish mortal lives." emitted a demonic masculine voice under the shadow of an abandoned building as he had a hood on. A ray of light beamed lower half of his face, revealing one of his eyes emitting in a bright purple light and another in crescent color followed by a smile with his sharp razor jaws exposed. The town he was walking filled with nobody other than himself.

 **I had finally realized that this version seemingly able to connect to the on-going series better than the previous version which is also not that bad and it was my first fanfiction. Though, each chapter won't be as long as the old version which I wasted so much time typing a fully daily routine of their living(lol). Other than anything else, thanks for reading my story :D It truly encourage me to write more even with certain mistakes while writing a chapter of the story.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey you! This is a no trespassing area. Please leave immediately!" shouted a guy wearing a cloth resemble a cowboy cloth from a room up a building. He also carries a pair of revolver, tucked inside the holster that hang beside his trouser.

He was shouting at the boy with the hood on his head(judging from his height). The boy ignores him and continue to move, even knowing that the area was restricted. The guy shouted at him again; but this time he stopped and took a glance on him.

He only smirked. Portion of his teeth were exposed; instantly, the guy had been devoured by shadow as his blood sputtered around every corner of the room. He proceeded, tilting his head and fixed his eyes at the ground while walking. As the sun sets down to the horizon, darkness crept up the land. The boy vanished into the shadow.

Stars glimmering in the night sky, the place looked deserted but it isn't. Back in Elmore, Gumball had the same dream of been stabbed by Zach, startled him up awaking from his bed. "Darn…I keep having the same dream again…," Gumball whispered in his awake, soaring eyes.

"You are having doubt." Cain whispered back distinctly in his sub-consciousness.

"What is it exactly? He vanished right after I officially changed my name to 'Gumball'." Gumball replied.

"That's not it. You were doubting about Dante, as he was banished to the world beneath yours."

"Dante has been with us for a long time before he was dropped into Underworld by mistake. He was like a sibling to all of us."

"So, you mean that he's probably alive!?" Gumball burbled on his conclusion of Dante's fate.

"Likely. But not in a friendly manner." Cain said. "Anyway, go back to sleep. You have school to catch in the morning."

Gumball returned back to sleep. The stars formed a face, as one of it glows the brightest, probably the eye. It didn't stay long on the clear sky before clouds came and hide them under their fluffy 'cotton'.

Frank was still at school in a "secret" room with several monitor linked to a few personal computer – displaying a map with location of certain area – longitude, latitude and distance from his current position.

"…yes…yes…I think I see it…Okay…Thank you," he hung up the call with a click on the button located at the side of his earphone. A dot emitted on the monitor as it moving towards to London from Greenland slowly. A rectangular timer shown at the far end right, below the screen, _05 DAYS 16 HOURS 29 MINUTES_.

He knew it was just an estimate and the timer could be readjusted if Titan speed up his movement. Why is it heading to London? He thought. The last time, it actually travelled across the other side of the world to Hawaii and only to be captured and put to rest shortly after killing hundreds of people. Nowhere is peace when Titan roams the area.

Frank's thoughts cumulated inside his mind one after another. "Why…just why…" he muttered repeatedly. The dot suddenly disappeared while he was muttering. It then reappeared with another dot, increasing two. When Frank noticed, he got freaked out. The dots were near together until one suddenly disappeared. _Phew_ – he emitted with a sigh of relief. It was just an error. He thought.

"But is it real…?" He asked himself, as he held a mug that was sitting on the table. It was coffee. He stirred around with the spoon and stopped to think.

Before the previous incident, they didn't gathered much information from Titan. But, if he really did split or manipulated into two or even more, this could mean disaster. Frank continued observing throughout the night, sleepless and tired – his hair got messy and untidy, dark circles under his eyes. Instantaneously, he fell asleep on the table without thinking too much. The timer still going.

* * *

"Come on, Cedric!"

Milestone High, homed to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers, other than that, it contains a field with the size of a stadium and one of the largest library in Milestone. On the field, it was Cedric Woodford and Stella Euridhart. They were doing an exercise of five continuous laps and Stella just finished her. While Cedric, was losing himself during the third lap as Stella cheering for him.

Cedric was gasping as he spoke. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DRAG ME TO TRAINING ON DAY OFF?!" He shouted while keeping his pace on the track.

"Just to keep your body healthy and in good shape," Stella said. "If you continue to have your arse stick in your room forever, you might as well be a turtle in its shell for eternity."

"Moreover, you might even caught a disease or a flu more often."

Cedric bit his lip as he finished the third lap. Stella continued to nag him with words. "However, for an elf, it was unlikely for you to catch a cold but you're not agile enough for normal elves. You are disgracing your own races if you don't get stronger."

"Okay! I get it! Please, stop nagging me!" Cedric shouted in defeat. Stella just smiled at him.

Moments later, he finally finished five laps and collapsed on the track in exhaustion. He was grasping heavily as Stella walks to him. "How was it?"

He took a deep breath and replied, "Life-threatening." His face was pale like a ghost. Stella handled him a bottle of water and he just open the cap and splashed around his face. Stella sighed as she handled him another bottle.

He got in a sitting position and started to drink the water Stella gave him. His ears reacted, notifying him that some was watching them. He looked around the field.

"What was it?" Stella asked.

"Someone…someone was watching us just now," he replied.

"Maybe just some random student peaked us and left," Stella guessed.

"I don't think so…," he muttered before Stella telling him to head back to their dormitory. They head back together but the senses returned to him. He decided to ignore it.

"Well…well…, looks like I'd found some playmates!" said a voice sounded like Gumball but slightly different.


	6. Chapter 6

"Tomorrow's the day! Aren't you excited?" Lexy said.

"Of course I am…it's just that…something troubling me," said Gumball, looking vary and concerning

School just finished not long ago as they reached home. Darwin was out again – to do his school homework with Clayton and Tobias – leaving Gumball and Lexy in the bedroom while Candy and Richard again, watching TV together and fallen asleep.

"What could have troubling you early in this year?" Lexy asked, staring into his eyes.

"Zach I guess. I could felt him somewhere," Gumball replied.

"But…he disappeared into thin air. How could that be possible?"

"Well, probably just my imagination," he conceded.

"Imma going downstairs to join Candy." Lexy said, standing up from the bed.

"O-okay–"

"Wanna join her?" she asked.

"I will be fine in my room getting things ready for tomorrow." Gumball declined as he stared at his right arm where Cain currently located.

Just as Lexy left the room, Gumball have a vision of the upcoming war - buildings were collapsing, the roads ruptured from the ground as a figuring stood on the debris that piled up like a mountain. His eyes turned from black to teal as well. Cain snapped him off and pulled him back to his conscious.

"Are you out of your mind?" said Cain. "Looking into the future is a "serious problem. Your subconscious will be taken away if you look even longer."

"Erm…what?" Gumball said.

"Just don't use foresight again. That's all I have to say." Cain sounded lower and lower when he was finishing his sentence. Gumball just looked at him with one of his eyebrows raised up.

"What are we gonna do today?" Gumball asked.

"Nothing. Just nothing. We will start practicing after reaching London," Cain replied.

"Oh…fine. Now…preparation."

Gumball went to find a luggage from the closet and packed up his things such as clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste and other necessities he felt like needed after arriving at London. About 30 minutes later, he finished packing up everything. He took 3 sets of clothes and also a spare for certain reason.

On his free time, he practice on manipulating the element of fire by himself. Though, he nearly caused a fire outbreak in the room. The fire suddenly gone too wild but was ceased by Cain afterwards.

"Try manipulating with the flow as your inner spirit is the key of controlling every all the elements," Cain advised. He recalled back. What he told Gumball was what Adelius told him about how elemental magic works. He was more than an apprentice compared to a mentor.

Gumball tried to understand what Cain told him, by following his own spiritual flow. At first, he was calm and steady as the fire was weak and soft, glowing in gold yellow. Next, he shifted his emotion to anger and the fire burning strongly in reddish gold.

"Your emotion is everything in elemental control. A simply break down will cause a rampage while in the opposite, it flows in peace and calmness, settling your subconscious."

Gumball stared at the flame while Cain was saying. Out of sudden, the fire turned into a shape shifting block of ice and then faded to dust or snow. "That was fear," Cain continued. "Fear lives in every living beings and being the darkness inside their heart. You cannot escape fear other than face it with your true, self."

"I guess that's enough for today."

Gumball agreed. He once again saw Dante, but only an instant before return to normal. He walked out of his room and joined his siblings. Darwin had just returned home and put his homework on the table in the bedroom he and Gumball shared before joining his feline siblings.

12 p.m., the time Gumball and Carrie were told to gather at the airport but didn't told what airline they are boarding. The two were standing side to side, unknowing what to do with their luggage sitting behind them tail and ghostly leg. Frank appeared from the entrance as he marched towards them.

"You two. Gumball Watterson and Carrie Krueger is it?" he said.

"Yes…" the two replied in unison.

"Okay. I'm been called to accompany you two during your stay in London for couple of months," he said.

"Let's get going or we won't catch the flight."

They boarded their flight. Gumball just stared out the window as the airplane take off from the ground. It will take a while before they reach London. So at the meantime, they decided to take a nap before they arrive.

"What makes you think that you have already won...?" muttered a voice in Gumball's subconscious.

Gumball stood in the dark and only he could see himself. The voice came from everywhere. Fear stands in front of him; as chaos stumble his thoughts.

"Typical. Just typical. In general, you're just a teenage blue cat, feared by his own creation of disaster and madness. Look at you," the voice continued. Gumball looked at his paws, it turns grey and slowly moving towards his body. His claws fully extended.

"You cannot comprehend your thoughts. As your thoughts intensify, your subconscious will break down and the darkness within lurks out, suppressing you and overtake the control of your body."

"Sweet, sweet, NIGHTMARES." Just before Gumball completely turned grey, a ray of light shot down at the area Gumball was standing. Recovering his color. Cain stands in front of him. "Now you see how darkness tries to pursue their prey."

"Causing their prey to be in a paranoia state and then lead them to the path of darkness. But, darkness and light must be existed in a person's heart to keep them balance. Though, darkness always try to cause imbalance and failed in the end," Cain said. "I hope you understand."

In a white flash, Gumball woke up just about time the airplane was landing at Lewiston Airport, located at south east London. "Where are we…?" Gumball muttered.

"London?" Carrie said.

"Ruthfield, one of London's district on the far north side," said Frank with only a travelling beg as he stood behind the duo. His hair was still messy except his attire which is the only part tidy and clean.

They were standing outside. Frank reached out for a taxi and they got in while having their luggage and begs put into the trunk. "Where are you guys heading?" the driver asked.

"Milestone Village, please, thank you," Frank replied politely.

They continued their journey on land for the next half an hour. It wasn't far and the view outside was enchanting. When they arrived at their location, they unloaded their things and stood in front of the house as Frank gave some tips to the taxi driver.

"Is this really where we're staying…?" Carrie said, staring at the house which was at the left side of the road. Semi double-stories house with free furniture and water and electric bill, stated by Principal Harlow.

"Yup." Frank said. "And as a matter of fact, the principal of Milestone High sponsored the money to build every houses in this area for families and students to rent or buy. Considerably rich, he earns the title of being the most generous principal."

Gumball and Carrie left speechless and amazed by how generous the principal of Milestone High School is. Without saying much, they entered the house and set their things. Frank only took a few minutes, setting down his beg at the first floor, take out and put his laptop on the living room table, plug the charger into the laptop and switch on the laptop, done. As for Gumball and Carrie, they had move their luggage to the second floor, into their own room and unpack and arrange everything, well, not everything they brought.

Afterwards, the two went to the first floor as Frank called and told them. "You two have to go to the high school and meet the principal there for registration. Don't you worry about the documents, Principal Harlow had already sent both of yours personal records to him."

"O-okay..." Gumball murmured. They walked out the house without saying anything much.

"Is he really one of our school teachers?" Carrie asked Gumball outside their temporary home.

"Erm…no idea. He just enter my class and did not teach any important things, literally."

"He doesn't look like one, in my opinion." Said Carrie as she brushing her hair to the side before it fully covers her left eye.

"So…how are we going to get to the school?" said Gumball, not sure which way they should take.

Luckily, two people were coming to their direction from the left. One was a female black buck and another was a male elf. They seem to be the same age as Gumball and Carrie and only beginning to study at Milestone High.

"I don't–"

Carrie was interrupted by Gumball when he noticed them and called to them for direction to the school. "Are you two from Milestone High?" Gumball asked.

"Yes? How can we help you two? It looks like you guys are new to this place," the female black buck replied frankly.

"We are, certainly new to here. I would like to ask how to go Milestone High from here?" said Gumball. The elf boy was scanning them from toe to head.

"About that. Just walk down the street and you will see the school sitting in front of your eyes."

"Thank you," Carrie thanked before Gumball moves his lip.

"By the way, are you both from the student exchanging program?" the elf boy asked.

"How did you know?" Carrie replied.

"I hear about this sort of program few days ago and two students from our school volunteered themselves to take part in this program. So, it was the same as for your school and you two volunteered for the program?" said the black buck.

"Yea," Gumball nodded.

"I'm Stella and this is Cleric," she said, putting one of her hand on Cleric's shoulder. "And you two?"

"Gumball."

"Carrie."

"Nice to meet you and hope both of you have a great time at here. We have things to do so see you guys next time," said Stella as she and Cleric continued walking along the pavement.

"Aren't they kind?" asked Carrie, facing at Gumball.

"I suppose so." Said Gumball. "Speaking of which, let's get to the school and get ourselves registered."

"Right behind you."

They followed the direction Stella told them before, take left and walk along the street. But, Gumball may have forgotten something. Where to find the Principal's office. When they arrive at the school entrance, they gazed in surprised and shocked. They didn't expect the school compound to be so wide. They proceeded into the school and found a signboard and three different routes, left, right, middle.

Gumball scanned the signboard. Junior High Scholar is at the right; Teachers and Principal's office, laboratories, school hall, student pavilion, canteen and the library is at the middle; and lastly, Senior High Scholar is at the left as well as the field.

They take the middle route and reached one of the building block and probably the largest one compared to their school and other blocks. They surveyed around until they meet a teacher over there.

"May I help you two?" he asked.

"We need to find the Principal's office and we do not know which way will lead us there." said Gumball.

"Just walk straight along the corridor and the Principal's office will be on your right."

Gumball thanked him as he left them with a smile. They got to the office just like they were told. Gumball knocked the door and came a voice "Come in". Gumball turned the knob and entered as Carrie followed behind him.

"I'm Principal William, your school's principal older brother," he said, shocking their expectation.

"Wait…what! He's Principal Harlow's brother?" the two thought the same as they stared at each other in bug eyed.

"Don't just stand there. Come and take a seat." said William as he was flipping through documents on his table.

There were two empty seats but only Gumball on one of the seats while Carrie just floats behind the other chair since her body will only passed through whenever she tries to sit on it.

"Judging by both of your academic performance; it was excellent. As far as I know, Gumball, you had broken several rules back in junior high but I doubt that you had changed that behavior of yours."

Gumball looked at him awkwardly. "I'm still trying."

"Good. Don't loss that spirit. And Carrie…" he said, looking at Carrie with a frown. "Just some minor reports about been less sociable before. Well, I don't see any of that un-sociable part of yours anywhere."

His expression suddenly changed and he pulled a smile.

"I think that's all I have to say. Tomorrow you two can take a tour around the school compound if you wanted to."

"Oh, okay. We will." Said Gumball.

"You both can leave now," William said, holding his right hand up, open widely showing them the way to the door.

Gumball and Carrie left the room. Outside the room, they stared at each other. "That wasn't what I was expecting for..." said Gumball.

"He really is generous, gentle and kind, just like Frank mentioned before," Carrie agreed to him as she also did not expecting William to be like that.

"Well, the thing that struck us more, is that Principal Harlow was his little brother from the beginning." They started to walk away from the office.

"Yeah. They're barely recognizable by their looks, but their personalities were nearly comparable." Gumball stated as he snorted.

Hallowing wing sneaked past his ears. He reacted to it, turning his head around as he stood still. He noticed a strange presence; a presence that will only brought trouble rather than peace. His eyes stiffen, as he could tell someone was there, around the corner.

"I think tomorrow we should —" Carrie stopped when she noticed Gumball wasn't following beside her.

"Hey?" she called to him softly.

"Cain…I think I saw something." Gumball said, ignoring Carrie's call.

"You're right. I could also felt its aura but it was indistinct," Cain replied. "Do you remember what I told you last time about something bad in London?"

Gumball tried to recall and for several times until that particular name came out his mind, _Zach_. _Could it be_ _—?_

Carrie snapped him when she shouted his name this time, finally got his attention. "Huh. What?" he said.

"I think we should visit the school on tomorrow," she sighed.

"Sounds greet to me."

Frank was alone in the house with his laptop. He was having headache when he saw the duration of the timer had lengthen to a few weeks after _it_ will reach London by the time it hits zero.

"What could possibly gone wrong?" he sighed.

He made a speculation which can explain why the duration increased dramatically. Either Titan or also known as Deus is undergoing evolutionary stage which could take up to few days or weeks to complete. But, it potential will be magnified and became more pestilential. Or, it was hunting for DNA genetic formation to widen its ability to evolve into many other different forms.

"I should contact Max and tell him about this…," he walked to the kitchen where the telephone located. His earphone and cellphone was charging and it will take a while before it's fully charged.

He punched the number and dialed the phone. _Beep, beep, beep, beep,_ " _Hello_?"

"There's something wrong with Titan. The timer's duration had increased a lot today and I think it was undergoing evolutionary stage. Should we send troops to incapacitate it?" Frank said through the phone.

"No. We all knew that when Titan was undergoing evolutionary stage, it could be more dangerous than after completing its evolution. If we go now and capture it, it could take another form of evolution instead. An evolution that can fight us off with ease. Take some time, I will figure out something while you keep your eyes on him." Said Max.

"…" he stopped for a while before continue, "Affirmative…." He sounded uncertain to Max idea, but he knows that Max always came out with a seven per ten ratio successful idea. Besides confiding in Max's capability, he could only observe the timer where else it keeps on counting to zero. He hang up the phone as he walked back to his laptop.


	7. Chapter 7

Under the scorching heat of the desert there was an underground headquarter like the one Deus escaped from called Desert Brigade or in short term, DB. The interior design was different. It was built with few layers of metal under the sand, tightly sealed to prevent the sand above from collapsing down. The area was large about one and a half kilometer from the front to the end if by distance and five hundred meter from both sides.

While everyone was busy, a sudden blackout occurred. In the energy generator domain, there was a huge machine powered by an unknown supply but could generate till forever everlasting. Everyone held a flashlight while checking the machine.

"Trey. Status?" a guy dressed in army uniform asked.

Trey was the one checking the status of the machine and system. He was sitting in front of a monitor which is somehow, probably, powered with backed up power supply.

"Machine: Undamaged. Computer system: No Error." One of the worker reported.

"Any cable detached, John?" he said and another worker came to him and reported to him "None".

"John, go report to Sir Kales and tell him to tell Max that something is going on."

"Roger." John left the domain and followed by a shout "Reboot the system!"

Everyone in the domain seen working on powering the machine after the recent blackout. Shortly after, the current returned as every section being lit up. At the center of headquarter where they deploy their flying machine emerged the same boy with his face covered by a hood.

Everyone dressed as an army in the area stood and stared at him for a while before reaching their guns. One of them shouted at him, "Put your hands up above your head and your knees down the ground!"

The boy ignored as he take a step forward. Lasers aimed at him from everywhere. The same person who shouted at him warned him, "I count to three. One!"

The boy continued to ignore and took another step forward towards them. Lots of reloading sound emitted from all direction, top and ground.

"Two!"

He slowly pulled down his hood as his face exposed to fluorescent light; shadow started to rise from his back to a certain height, about two stories high.

Instead of shouting three, he shouted "Fire!" Everyone clicked the gun trigger in unison. Bullets came rushing out at the boy from all direction. The shadow covered him, dissolving the bullets in contact with it. Then suddenly, while still covering the boy, multiple long arm sprouting out; one of it heavily slammed one of the shooter into the wall, crushing the body as well as the bones.

As the terror carries on, a man emerged from a passageway with no equipment. Many dead bodies lying on the ground and a pool of blood. The shadow uncovered him. The man furrowed, staring at the boy in dismay but showing no sign of fear.

"I hated shadow for quite some time now…" he said quietly. An arm suddenly lunged at him, dark and hallowing; but, it distinguished before it touches him about few centimeters away between his eyes.

He put both his fist close together and manipulated an energy-made sword, shining in golden yellow color. Lot more shadow arms appeared and charged directly at him. He sprinted towards, fighting off the shadow with the sword he summoned earlier while making his way to the boy.

As he got close enough, he leaped and about to make a heavy blow — a shadow fist emerged beneath him, sending him fly to a certain distance. He dropped to the ground, his hands stained with blood as he sword disappeared from his right hand. He recovered to his feet and the sword reappeared in his grip.

He slashed at thin air, creating a wave of energy. The boy completely manifested the shadow as the wave only hits the layer. He turned into an eight feet and two point four inches tall shadow monster. His eyes were sharp and dreadful, glowing in scarlet color and sharp claws on both hands. The man yelled, summoning a pair of guardian angel. His arms burning with lines, the color of a blazing sun. He got into sprinting pose and darted at high speed.

* * *

A body lying on the ground along the other dead bodies, the uniform was torn with multiple claw mark. A name tag was at the upper right of the head. _Kales Craig_. The boy reverted back to his original body as he advanced further deeper. He reached to a room with a signboard marked with no trespassing. There's a metal door blocking him from entering the room. He let his shadow slipped passed the door and squished into a thick piece of metal board.

A sword was contained inside a glass cylinder container, floating mysteriously inside without any effect or rely on any technologies.

He broke the container and snatched the sword in his possession. Afterwards, he left the DB headquarter half destroyed and hundreds of death. Max arrived moments later with a helicopter as it landed at the deploy bay. He noticed he was late. If not, things won't get too messy with bloods scattering around the floor.

He quickly marched to the control room with a few of his men following behind. He checked on the security camera and sent all the data and information into a flash drive. Some people still remained in the DB headquarter and was later transferred to Max's headquarter by his order when he returns.

He looked into the data and information and also recorded footage of the incident. He highlighted the boy's face on one of the footage and sent it to Frank to notify him about the event. Still, what worries him was the sword more than Titan. Was the sword more valuable than over seven billions lives of people?

Gumball woke up with a sneeze. Sunlight shone through the window and to his eyes as he was in a sitting position on his bed. He stood up, ignoring the light and he glanced at the clock on a small table beside his bed. The short one was pointing at eight as the long one at five which reads eight twenty-five, in the morning. He changed his clothes to a red colour tee shirt and a dark grey pants before leaving his room. While he was walking down the stairs, Frank was sitting in front of his laptop with a cup of smoking coffee beside it.

"Morning," he said.

Gumball greeted back after his feet touched the ground. He continued to the kitchen and opened the fridge only to notice that it was empty. He closed back and returned to the living room. "Where's Carrie?" he asked.

"She's gone." Frank said.

"Gone to where?"

"Don't know. Around the neighbourhood with some new friends," Frank said, still fixing his eyes on the screen.

Doubts gathering in his mind but he didn't display on his face. He's just calm. Gumball went out of the house as the morning breeze brushed his fur. He looked around in both direction for a few times before seeing Carrie walking beside Stella with a plastic bag of sandwiches.

"Hey, morning!" Stella shouted afar.

"Morning," Gumball greeted back at her.

"Where's your 'other friend'?" Gumball asked out of sudden.

"He's busy on doing something," Stella replied to him when she got to a close range with Carrie.

"Oh…"

"Here's your breakfast and you owe me one and a half dollar," Carrie said, passing the plastic bag to Gumball as he held it with his right hand.

"Tomorrow I'll give you," Gumball kindly accepted.

"Oh right! I will take show you around the school compound if you guys wanted to." Stella said.

"I was just thinking about that not long ago," said Gumball, peeking into the plastic bag as he grabbed the sandwich which is packed in a plastic triangular container that fits the sandwich just perfectly.

"Okay, that settled."

"When are you going to take us?" Carrie asked.

"Around evening, probably after lunch."

'That's great, hope to see you later," said Carrie, smiling at her.

"Okay, bye!" Stella left them as they went into the house.


	8. Chapter 8

Cedric was doing a 100-meter sprint, repeatedly in the school field. Sweat crawling down his face and he's still continued, ignoring the fact that he was already weary.

"I think that's enough," a voice muttered to him, but there was no one else besides him other than a tattoo blinking continuously in a purple color light.

"Finally!" he shouted in relief and collapsed to the ground, flattening the grass with his back.

He gasped, "Say, what you think about that cat with odd color furs?"

"That blue cat? Hm… nothing much. He's just a typical 16-year-old student attending high school."

"Probably. Anyway, Eldred, can you tell me how to do the weapon summoning stuff once more? I can't remember how," said Cedric, getting into a sitting position.

"What? I just taught you how to manipulate it yesterday and you have already forgotten?" Eldred retorted.

Cedric scratched the back of his left ear. "Well… my memory sort of… bad? Just teach me one last time and I will surely remember it."

Eldred sighed inwardly. Even though he didn't have a physical appearance, Cedric could felt him it from the inside. "Okay," he began.

"Hold out your right hand. Just relax and channel energy into your right hand, afterward; compress the energy into one. That's all. I hope you could get the idea," Eldred elucidated.

Cedric followed the steps Eldred told just now. When he channeled energy into his right hand, he only notices he couldn't compress the energy into one. The energy is growing in dark purple light, notified that there is a lot of potentials inside and could simply cause an accident.

"Hold on there! Stop!" Eldred shouted, but it was too late.

The energy got too overwhelmed and suddenly; he was brought into another space. It was pitch-black except him. He panicked and wondered where they are.

"This is why you shouldn't overload your energy." Eldred beckoned.

"Why and more importantly, what is this place?" Cain shouted

"This is," Eldred paused. "The Shadow World."

Cedric's eyebrows raising. "All shadow walkers, users or manipulators could access to this world. In this world, it will only become useful when it is dusk till dawn or dark place, technically speaking, this place is very effective during at night or inside a pitch coal-like cave."

"Huh?"

"Because, in the dark, this place could act like a portal or pathway from one spot to another and also, everywhere will light up brightly during the meantime."

Just as Eldred finished, they returned to the field. Cedric stared at the cloud and then at the school buildings. "Moreover, you have a higher chance of winning a One-V-One fight. If you happen to get into a group fight and no one is backing up for you, take them down one after another wisely. If can, do not engage."

"Okay… but I don't get it. Why couldn't I take on a large group?" Cedric questioned, rubbing his chin.

"We aren't pure magic based caster. For instance, we couldn't use the full potential of a shadow walker. Because we are weapon expertise and can only access from 60-70 percent of them. But with the help of weapons, we could maximize our fighting strategies. That's how runes work."

"Oh…"

The following hours, he went wandering around the school compound like a staff working over there. They are a few people can be seen in the compound, mostly, spending their time in the library.

It was already evening and they were supposed to meet Stella at the school. They stood at the entrance, waiting for Stella's appearance. Not long after, she arrived, wearing a white tee shirt and a dark blue pants.

"Sorry for keeping you two waiting," she said.

"It's okay. We just reached here." Carrie said.

"Let's go in, shall we?" Stella said, walking into the school compound.

They followed behind her as she guide them to the Junior High Scholar blocks, age ranged about twelve-to-fourteen. The building has three stories and four classrooms each. The lowest for students at the age of twelve, and so on.

Next, she showed them other places around the school before proceeding to the school field. "Okay," she turned to them. "That, is the school field. A size of one and a half of a foot stadium."

They stood flabbergasted. "What… why would this school need a field of that size?" Gumball asked.

"Well… who knows, at least it could fit every student in this school," Stella replied.

"How many of them exactly?"

"About 2000 including us."

"…" They were speechless. A knife barely hits them from behind as it continues to travel until it hit a tree not far from them.

"Darn...nearly hit it," said Cedric from behind them.

"Would you mind not hauling a knife out of nowhere as it could kill somebody like them?" Stella retorted as she went to pull the knife out of the tree without looking at him.

"Pardon me. I was trying to hit a fly over there," he said, holding a knife in his other hand.

"You might as well take something considerable not dangerous-"

Cedric hauled another knife, but at Stella's direction while she was facing directly at him. Stella swiftly repelled the knife with the one in her hand. She glared at Cedric, "You couldn't even show mercy to a harmless creature'. What exactly are you anyway? A beast of an elf? I warn you, if; you ever throw dangerous things in my face, I will stick your head into the ground."

Her voice filled with threatening while her eyes still fixed on Cedric's. Gumball and Carrie looked at both of them awkwardly as they caught in the middle of a fight. "Sorry…," Cedric apologized, frightened by her.

Stella took a deep breath as she said, "Please don't do that again…"

"Er…" Gumball emitted.

"Sorry for bringing up a fight just now."

"No, no, no, no. It's all right," Carrie said, waving both of her hands.

"Where do you get those knives anyway?" asked Gumball as he turned at Cedric.

"The knives? I carried them with me usually," Cedric replied.

"But… for what reason will you need a knife in school?" Gumball continued, his eyes narrowed slightly at him.

"Let's just say, one of my hobbies."

"Yeah. Carrying sharp tools around that could accidentally wound up somebody easily," Stella jested, picking up the knife she repelled earlier on the ground.

After she picked up the knife, she looked at the blue feline and the ghost girl. "You both will be studying at that block," she said, pointing at the senior block to students aged between 16 and 18.

"Oh, okay," Gumball said.

Since after he stepped into the school yesterday, he had that eerie feeling as if someone was there watching him from elsewhere. His nerves were tingling every second passed by.

"I think that's everything in the school," she said, looking over Cedric's shoulder. A person walking towards them.

"I can't believe that I could see you here, Gumball," his voice was familiar.

Gumball, Carrie, and Cedric turned to where the voice came from. "Zach…" Gumball stammered.

"What are you doing here?" Stella asked, not as pleasing as she sounds.

"You know him?" Cedric asked Gumball as he looked at him.

"I am his alter ego, though. After being brought into this world, I feel more, independent, than usual; which was living inside Gumball's tiny brain," Zach blurted out. "So, how was it, after leaving your mind, Gumball?"

"Worst. I had nightmares over and over because of your particular existence," Gumball snarled.

"Oh? Really? Hm, I could see how furious you are right now. I think I'll just disappear from here." He finished. A burst of smoke coming out of the area he stood and he vanished.

"Where did he go!" Cedric said.

"Who knows, he would come back for sure. That's what I know," Gumball replied, narrowing his eyes as his head tilted to the ground.


	9. Chapter 9

**A nearly full conversation chapter since I don't have any thing to describe much on this one and I lost some inspiration. I have to rely on my hands to guide me in this one which I could be a bit direct in some parts. Enjoy.**

Jason was sleeping in his bed, his serene face illuminated by the moonlight, suddenly he sneezed. Whoosh! In a moment, he appeared on a metal surface. He woke up wondering why the surface was so cold. Shortly after he came to his senses, he was shocked and only realized that he was not in his room. There were people wearing army uniform staring at him bug eyed.

"Where am I? And who are you people?" He shouted.

"I'm Max and we are special units, trained to hunt down DEUS, Dangerous Extreme Unidentified Species. And, you're Jason Murderday. I presume?" Max said, emerging out of the crowd.

"What?"

"This is my base. Nexus. Overall, how did you get here?"

"I… I don't know. I remember I was sleeping in my comfy bed, then suddenly I sneezed. That's how I got here…," Jason stammered.

"Okay everyone. Resume your work," Max shouted. "You. Follow me to my office."

* * *

Jason was sitting in front of Max's office table which piled up with documents. The room itself was painted with dark oak color. There were a few bookshelves, fully arranged with books. Jason was perspiring and wondering if Max is going to kill him for appearing in a restricted area.

"You are lucky that this is not a government military base. You will be in so much trouble if they catch you and they will definitely take you into a lab and toss many experiments on you." Max alerted with a calm, welcoming tone.

"Seriously?" Jason was shuddering, but managed to calm himself down after hearing what Max told him.

"Yes. The Government around the world are muchly aware about it. As they will take those that possessing supernatural power and examine them."

"How did you know all this stuff?"

"Nexus is the main branch of many other hidden organization that also hunt DEUS. And in this organization, we have many people that have supernatural power. Runes, glyphs, gifted, witchcrafts, sorcerers, and many more to be named. And foremost, we are cooperating with the government, but not working with them. They have their own authority and priority and we have ours."

"What do you by cooperating but not working with the government…? I don't get it." Jason tilted his head slightly while his eyes still remain at Max.

"They have their way of managing thing and so do we. They will take care those minor problems while we'll take care of major situation. Moreover, they cannot restrain our men with supernatural power to experiment."

"Oh…"

"So, what do you wanna do? You're in London. Gumball and Carrie are here too, just to remind you," Max said. "You can join them if you want or you just wanted to return -"

"I will love to join them!" Jason shouted without hesitation.

Max opened the side drawer and took out a wristband. "This is a transmitter. There's a button built on the both sides. Press it together and it will transmit a signal to us. Take it and only use it when some horrifying creature appear. We'll come straight away," Max explained.

"Why do I need it…?" Jason asked.

"Currently, there's a DEUS creature on the loose, A.K.A Titan. A few days ago, we were tracking its signature until it somehow disappeared for a split second," Max replied. "We weren't sure whether it has the ability to split itself or not. Take this wristband just in case."

Jason reached for the wristband as he wears it on his left arm. "What is this Titan?"

"It was an evolutionary creature. Having the ability to evolve its body part of the DNA that attained in its body. For instance, if Titan kills a tiger, it obtains the tiger's DNA. Titan can either enhance its usual claw for devastating force or evolve it to a much bigger and longer claw."

Jason glanced into the glimpse of chaos. "Okay, I will try."

"Be careful. Gumball and Carrie is in Milestone. Morning, I'll give you a lift to there while also notifying your school's principal," Max offered. "There's an empty room down the hallway marked with E-90. You can sleep over there."

"Okay…, Thanks." Jason stood up exiting the room as he followed down the hallway and reached the room Max had mentioned to him.

Inside the room is like any other casual room, clean and with only a closet, a bed, a bathroom, and also a window. He has immediately fallen to sleep.

"Principal Harlow, one of your students, Jason Murderday, had just miraculously teleported into my base while he was sleeping. I think it's starting," Max talked over the phone sitting on his table.

"Did brother know about this?" Harlow asked.

"Not yet. I'll tell him afterwards. The source had reappeared and Titan is on his trail to find it."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier…?"

"There's also been a problem at Desert Brigade. Someone had broken into the base and stolen the sword and Kales was killed."

"Kales…" Harlow's voice toned down slightly when he heard about it. He paused. "Who break into the DB headquarter?"

"We are not sure about it. After we got there, the person already left with the sword," Max replied.

"Kales is one of the strongest archangels ever existed. If someone could overwhelm him, mostly will be a person that could manipulate darkness in an even higher rank than Kales." Harlow concluded.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Max said as his voice got a bit raspy. He paused. "We'll talk about it in the next phone call. Be aware."

"You too," Harlow finished and hung the call. Max sighed and put the handset back to its place.

Early in morning at 5:30am, he escorted Jason to the house Gumball and Carrie were staying for some period of time. No one was awake yet, except Frank, who still observing his laptop screen since yesterday. When he heard the sound of mobile engine, he automatically went to open the door and welcomed Max. "What happen to your eye?" Max asked, staring at Frank's remarkable droopy bags.

"What brought you here?" Frank said, rubbing his eyes as he glanced behind Max.

"I want you to take care of this child for a while."

"What… Jason? How did he get here?" Frank surprised.

"Unnaturally," Max said while stepping aside to create a path for Jason. "I had called William and told him that Jason will be studying over his school."

"Fine," Frank said. "By the way, did anything happen?"

"Not yet."

"Titan has been stopping and not moving since yesterday…"

"Don't worry. I had already sent a team to survey the area."

"Are you sure? Titan is not any known DEUS and you clearly understand that," Frank said as he looked at his watch. The watch was different from any normal watch. Several gears were built on the outside and not the inside as it doesn't seem to tell the time.

"What is that watch you are wearing?" Max asked.

"This?" he waved the watch at him. "A watch that used magic to move the gears inside. It shows Titan's presences with satellite transmission, so that I don't have to keep an eye on my laptop screen forever."

"That explains the dark layer under your eyes," Max seems to be impressed.

"Well, I'll leave him in your care." He finished as he returned back into his car. The car windows were slightly opened.

"Bye," said Frank as he watched him driving down the road until the car vanished from his sight. He turned to Jason.

"I'm not sure there's an extra room for you," He said. "You can have my room if you want, I'm fine with sleeping on sofa."

"Really?" Jason said.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Besides, did Max told you everything?"

"I think yes…"

"Good."

"Why?"

"Nothing, just my instinct telling me that you're much aware to the information Max told you." The two entered the house waiting the sun to rise from the horizon.


	10. Chapter 10

Max sent a team of five to locate a DEUS creature, Titan after stopping to move for a period of time in Greenland. "Anyone felt anything?" the leader, who was walking in the front line asked.

"Negative," his members replied in unison.

"Keep moving. It's around here somewhere," he continued, focusing his aim and awareness on all sides.

Snows were covering the ground as they marched deeper into the woods. Their pace was slow but nothing is more than their mission. Suddenly he stopped and lifted his left hand and everyone stopped. Blue light illuminating a few meters away from them. It started to glow bigger and bigger, to a size slightly bigger than a basketball.

He took a while to notice that it was actually energies gathering to form a sphere. "Retreat!" he shouted but it was too late. The energy-formed sphere came blasting at the ground in front of them, sending them off the ground. When they recovered, Titan appeared as he was different from before. Thinner body, sharp claws and a pair of legs that curved in like a deer.

Gunfire came from them as the shells recoiled out of their gun. Titan dashes from trees to trees in the team's diameter to dodge the bullets. It found an opening as it slipped behind two men and lunged its claws through their body and then returning to the trees.

"Plan B!" the leader shouted.

They threw their guns to the ground and held their fists up as electricity running through it. The gloves able to generate electricity to the outer layer so that it could become slightly efficient. They stood together. Titan reappeared from their east but got pushed back by one of them when it pounced at them.

A layer of skin grow on its body as it returned to confront them. As one of them was about to land another decisive blow, he was forcefully slammed to a nearby tree and breaking through it while ending his life instantly.

"Hey, Trey. Let's have a cup of coffee together in our afterlife." Titan was moving closer to them as they readied to engage.

"Yeah, definitely. Irwin."

Glyphs appeared under Trey's feet as he darted in high-speed through Titan while leaving a blow at its legs. Irwin followed up with his right fist charged with some amount of energy as he did an uppercut at Titan. Titan lifted up to the air by the force but instantly developed a pair of demonic wings. It then channels the same energy ball from before rapidly by only positioning both his hand in front of its chest.

The ball was split into two as Titan launched it off to the ground. The two stood helplessly and watched the balls rushing to them, creating a huge explosion at the area. Titan flew down as the wings devolved into its skin.

"This is bad…," Max sighed with his eyes staring at a large screen. The screen displayed the team's life sequences which all been disconnected when their lives ended. There's a few footage looping from the beginning to the end and highlighted Titan.

"No wonder it stops to move. Titan was in a deoxyribonucleic acid amplification and combining phase just like Frank had said. And that's the result… a massive intellectual, environmental and situational changing creature." Max theorized.

"What should we do…?" one of the staff asked.

"Get Hadley. We will figure this out," Max suggested. "We couldn't outsmart "him" literally and moreover; "he" could just overwhelm us easily."

The staff returned to his screen. Max was afraid that something worst might happened but he did not know what it was. After losing DB headquarters and now, Titan had morphed into a more dangerous creature.

Hadley, a fire salamander was alone inside a dark room. He was meditating at the center of a flame ring with his eyes shut. Something interrupted him before he could tell what's going on, a presence that he had not felt for ages as he opens his eyes.

The sun raised from the edge of the world as the clock pointing at 7:00am. Gumball and Carrie came down from upstairs and instantly surprised by Jason's appearance. "Dude! How did you get here?" Gumball shouted in a surprising voice.

Frank answered instead, "He received an offer to come and join you during the event which he surprisingly accepted the offer."

Jason glanced at him, knowing that he was lying but he knows that he will say the same thing too. "Yeah…"

"Happy to see you here!" Gumball radiating happily.

"If you guys don't hurry, you all are gonna be late to school," Frank said.

"Good morning class, I guess you all had known about the Student Transferring Program and I'm hoping you all will be happy to see three students from California, Elmore," said the class lecturer. "Gumball Watterson, Carrie Krueger, and; Jason Murderday."

The three walked into the classroom ascendingly when their name been called. Few students doesn't seem to welcome them as they stared at them and one spoken, "This school for higher class student only. You three are unworthy to transfer to this school."

"Hey!" shouted Stella, who was sitting two seats behind him. "Keep that filthy mouth of yours to yourself. You're spreading bacteria all over the place."

"So do you!" he countered back.

"Why you…! I been holding myself to kick your arse since last year," Stella snarled as she stood up from her seat. It was only a matter of second before a war begin.

"So what? You're just a violent, rude, hysterical girl."

Before Stella throw a fist at him, she glanced at Cedric beside her as he was shaking his head. _Don't do it... Please, this isn't you_. The words written on his face as she calmed herself down and admitted to her lose before sitting down on her chair and remain silent.

There are three seats beside and behind Cedric. The three took their seat. "That guy just now was a pain in the ass. Don't mind him, and better off; don't take in what he said," Cedric said to them.

"He's a coward that could not tolerate any people he met. He will cuss the person from day till night, seriously," Stella continued but silently. The three just nodded as the class started.

During recess, they sat together in group on a table with their food. "So, how was it? The teaching?" Stella asked the three.

"Quite entertaining," Carrie said.

"Not so boring," Gumball continued.

"Hey, you didn't tell us who Jason is yet," Cedric reminded.

"He's our friend from the place we live at," Gumball said. "Though, he received an offer to join us and he accepted. That's how he got here."

"Hi…"

"Just act naturally in this school. Some people may not feel welcoming to see you guys," Cedric said.

"I hate them personally. I did not make them pay for making a friend of mine transfer to another school yet," Stella said.

"Wow… don't be so angry, Stel."

"I'll go catch some air." Stella stood up with her tray and put it with other used tray on a table before leaving. As the bell rang for the second time, everyone returned to their class except Zach. He confronted by a shadowy figure in the garden of the school.

"I see you hate Gumball," the figure said.

"So? That's my problem and not yours. I decide to choose whether to kill or let him stay alive and that's none of your business, Whisperer" Zach said.

"Really? You want him dead so much that I could felt that fury coming right out you. Let me your body and I'll do the job for you —"

"Never!" Zach shouted back.

"Such persistent. I just will have to force myself in any way."

The figure lunged at him as he struggles to resist from being taken over. His knees were on the ground as he trying to hold himself. But relentlessly, he was still being possessed. His iris changed from black to scarlet. "So much potential he have…" he muttered while making a few twitches on Zach's body and stared at a mark on the forearm for a blink.

"Zachery. Please return to your class immediately. If not, punishment will be dealt to you." The sound came from a speaker on a post in the garden. It was William over the speaker. Whisperer, who was in Zach's body grinned and returned to his class while scheming to take Gumball's life.

 **Phew, I'm hoping to see how the story line will go (Hadley, Zenith and Adelius were confirmed to have a few chapters of their past in their PoV. 'cause I felt that these three have something worth to into it). And aside from that, my final exam is only 3 weeks ahead. So, I'll be stopping for a while until mid November probably. Afterwards, I will return to continue my stories(Including Misty Hollow) without any tension of studying. Also, do check on my Fictionpress stories if you're interested, Fright's Forest, a mystery story that I started not long ago thanks to my friends wonderful ideas.**


	11. Chapter 11

Whisperer was following Gumball wherever he goes, but remaining in the shadow waiting for an opportunity. Gumball stopped in the school greenery as he sat on a bench. When he thought that he had the chance, Gumball wandered away, making him cursed for half a minute.

On his second attempt, this time, Gumball was in P.E store room. He was about to strike a knife into Gumball's back at the heart but was slammed by a punching bag in the face. Before he steadies himself from the knock, Gumball noticed him and ignores and immediately walked out of the room without showing any sign expression.

"What is all this bad luck…" he cursed.

* * *

"I couldn't kill him for an uncertain reason." The Whisperer was in the corridor, muttering to himself. He was frustrating and wondering how he supposed to take Gumball's life without failing.

Zach must be carrying bad luck with him, thought Whisperer. He then thinks of an idea and that is to eliminate that flaw of his. Whisperer converted Zach's bad luck into negative energy and he consumes it.

Now, without the flaw, Whisperer could attempt his schemes accordingly. "You'll regret it…" Zach jeered out of nowhere.

"You shut the fuck off," Whisperer shouted, many students passing by looking at him. They stood frozen, staring at him for a moment before returning to their senses. The awkwardness in the atmosphere swiftly drifted away.

Whisperer filled with hatred and the more he thinks about Gumball, the angrier he gets to have his vengeance done in some gruesome ways. On his next attempt, this time after school, he followed Gumball to an open-field where he and his friends meet.

The field was in an isolated place from Milestone Street, but near to a forest and a mountain. "What are we doing here again?" Gumball asked, wondering as Carrie and Jason were beside him.

"You'll see," Stella smirked.

The ground quaked. Suddenly, dark gray walls emerged from the ground. A maze was formed from the above view. They stood in front of the entrance. Gumball, Jason, and Carrie were flabbergasted.

"Where do these walls came from...?" Jason asked in amazement.

"Every Monday and Friday, a maze will emerge in this five hectares open-field at three o'clock in the evening till half past four," Stella explained while kneeling down to tie her shoelaces.

"What purpose?" Carrie questioned.

"Sweetie, as a matter of fact, there's no answer to that. Many people come here to push their limits, but none of them make it to the other side," she answered, finishing the last step on her shoelaces.

"Is it really hard to get to the other side?" Gumball said, looking at the entrance. Many people have arrived shortly after them, energetic to compete.

Jason took a glance at them. "I can see everyone in Milestone High is quite competitive..."

Stella pulled both ends of the rabbit ears to tighten her shoelaces before standing up, "You'll never know how enthusiasm they are before you understand them," she said to Jason.

"And yes, it's hard to get to the other side because of numerous hidden traps," she turned to Gumball. "Not only that, the traps is unpredictable and continues to change through time."

"Meaning that, there's no breakthrough other than relying on our reflexes," she added. When her eyes were finding for Cedric, he's nowhere to be seen around them. "Have you guys saw Cedric?"

They looked around; no one else was outside the maze. Stella looked at her watch, almost five past three. _No wonder no one is around_ , she thought. "When I was explaining, Cedric, himself had already entered the maze with the others," she said.

"Without wasting time, I'll head off first." She darted into the maze and disappeared from their sight in a flash.

"Let's go in together," Gumball suggested.

Jason and Carrie agreed. They entered the maze together and stayed close together from separating or lost, but regarding that the maze will return back into the ground at five o'clock.

* * *

Stella dodged through pillars that emerged from the wall. She reached an end with two paths on both sides. She took the first path but ended up in a dead end. Before she was about to take the second path, a loud sound emitted within the maze. It sounded like a bird crashing into an impenetrable window.

 _"_ Sounded like someone's trying to cheat but ended up slamming into a barrier. Well, they have to do better than that next time _."_ Stella muttered to herself before continuing.

"Ow...my head, it hurts," Carrie muttered. She was on the ground, grasping her head and the short pain.

"This wall...was protected by a barrier," Gumball noted.

Carrie tested on passing through the wall with her intangibility but to no avail. "No Cheating 101. Never try to pass through a wall protected by an energy barrier." Jason jested.

Carrie regained her balance with Gumball's help as Jason took the lead. "Wait!" Gumball clasped his arm, stopping him from moving a step forward.

A pillar suddenly lunged out of the wall in front of Jason.

Jason gulped as he stood in front of the pillar, only an inch away from been hit. "Thanks..." He said. Gumball released his arm.

They continued into the maze, trying to find the out while Whisperer lost sight of them. He was in desperate in finding Gumball after losing sight of him, regarded that the maze isn't small and easy to get lost.

Cedric was already deep inside the maze. He found himself ended in a dead-end. "Strange...I swore I took the right path...," he muttered, smoothing his chin.

"There's no other way to proceed," said a guy behind him.

Cedric went to feel the surface of the wall. "No...There must be a way," he implied. "Ohm, try the wall."

Ohm Lightwell, a typical squirrel and an athlete studying in the same grade as Cedric but in a different class. Ohm has been a friend of Cedric since a year ago, but they rarely talk to each other. The last time they talked to each other was during sports day a year ago and that's how they became friends.

Ohm joined Cedric in search of a way through the maze. Ohm was moving his hand over the wall on the left side. He felt a brick different from the others on the wall.

As he tried to push the brick, it moved in and in the front wall, opened a passage. They looked at each other and begin running further into the maze. From above view, they've entered the third out of four division of the maze while Stella still in second and Gumball's group was in the midway chasing up to her.

An hour has passed; Whisperer was agitated by the confusing pathways of the maze. His patience slowly replaced with indignation. He clenched his fists, fiercely pummeling the nearest wall. Each time he lands, a strong wave of energy surged out followed with a blast.

The skin had torn by the fraction of the blows, blood running down his fits, but that didn't stop him from continuing. The barrier has been weakening and the wall begins cracking.

Straightaway, he stopped and drew his right fist backward as green energy aura gathering around it rapidly. As the energy gathered to a limit, he punched the wall with full force to unleash it. The energy converted into a destructive wave that shattered the wall in front till the end of the maze while leaving a large gap behind.

Gumball and his friends were only a step before been caught in the blast. Gumball paced forward. As he looked down the gap, Whisperer was standing over him. "Zach...," he uttered.

The gap was in the left side of the maze and no one was near to it. Whisperer again emitted the same energy blast as Gumball barely slipped away before been disintegrated.

"That's not him," Cain muttered, knowing it wasn't Zach.

"It is him! He's trying to kill me," Gumball countered.

As Gumball took a second glance, Whisperer was charging at him vindictively. "Ready to brace the hit," Cain warned.

"What's going on!" Carrie said in worry.

"Zach!" Gumball shouted.


	12. Chapter 12

Whisperer propelled himself towards Gumball with the momentum gained, wielding energy around his right fist and threw the energy directly at Gumball. The energy barely hit Gumball as it caused a small explosion on the ground beside him, shrouding them in a cloud of dust. The dust slowly fading way. They both exchanged an unfriendly glance; Whisperer showed extreme indignation, his eyes were dreadful.

At the moment they were close to each other, Whisperer landed a direct hit. Gumball blocked it with his arms crossed, but the force didn't keep him still, pushing him slightly back. Gumball's hands engulfed with flames with both hands in front, readied to block any attack. "It's better to run," Cain suggested, sensing a disturbance presence.

"For me, it's better to try," Gumball said reluctantly. He threw numerous fireballs at Whisperer, but it didn't inflict any harm.

"Told you," Cain retorted.

Before Whisperer was about to charge at Gumball, he fled with his friends and Whisperer ended up chasing after them. They went deeper into the maze, taking any quick option to try to confuse Whisperer which path they took.

"Did you, just now, shoot fireballs with your hands?" Jason asked out of curiosity while keeping in pace.

"I'll explain later," Gumball replied.

They lost sign of Whisperer, but unfortunately, ended up in a dead end. Whisperer was yelling at Gumball furiously as it gets louder, notifying his distance towards them getting closer. When the sound coming near to the group, Gumball thought they were hopeless. Suddenly, it echoes further from them, Whisperer had taken the other path.

It was a sort of relief, but they're conscious of Whisperer whereabouts. Whisperer's shout fainted off, giving Gumball an eerie feeling. They walked away to take another path, the wall behind them shattered as Whisperer emerged with a sword in his right hand.

"I found you—"

The ground quaked again as the maze slowly merged into the earth, letting the group an opportunity to flee from Whisperer.

"I had told you, that, you will regret it," Zach muttered in his subconscious.

Whisperer clutched the sword tighter as he charges at the group, but especially at Gumball and forced him to fight, denying his chance of escaping. Cedric and Stella were looking for them. Students left the open-field slowly until they were the only few remained with Gumball, Jason, and Carrie.

"Look…" Cedric pointed at "Zach" from afar, who was desperately trying to hit Gumball with his sword.

"Is that…" Stella noticed. "Zach?"

"Looks like him." Cedric pulled out of a dagger from his back. "But, something strange…"

"What?"

"Cyrus knew about it," Cedric guessed. He probably had figured out it wasn't Zach but something else.

"There's an unusual amount of demonic aura surrounded him. Few days ago, Zach showed no sign of this phenomenon. But today…" Cyrus implied in a spiritual, light yellow glowing form of particles.

"We noticed strange presence in the atmosphere since after recess," Eldred finished.

"Are we going to stand here or help him?" Stella cut in.

Gumball was dodging every strike by Whisperer with his quick reflexes. Whisperer swings faster as Gumball was unable to keep up. Just as Whisperer was about to sever Gumball's left arm from his body. Stella delivered a flying kick to his stomach, sent him flying to a certain distance away. Whisperer roared and gave her a deadly gaze. Cedric arrived at her side.

Gumball, Jason, and Carrie just stared at them. "Are you okay?" Carrie asked, worried. Jason was studying Zach. Black sclera with red glowing iris and his behavior was different than usual.

"Is he really Zach?" Jason concluded. "I mean—those eyes and behaviors."

Gumball stopped. "Who are you?" he asked. Whisperer laughed maniacally.

"Don't you remember me?" Whisperer said. "You stepped and killed me in the process four years ago. Have you forgotten?"

Gumball shook his head, clueless. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"That paper girl washed away my entire army on your hand that was going to infect you. If you remember," Whisperer smiled grimly.

Gumball thought for a moment. Teri? Virus? Slowly, he began to remember everything. "How are you still alive?" he said.

Whisperer clutched his sword followed with an energy charging sound from the sword. Cedric and Stella heighten their awareness.

"A warrior spirit never dies. They will only reborn and become stronger than the last time they make their appearance," he said gloriously with a grin.

"Then, what are you?" Cedric asked instead.

"A possession spirit," Cain and Whisperer said in unison.

"I possess and harvest the person's vitality to become stronger," Whisperer divulged.

"And after that, he will take form into a more monstrous appearance with supernatural abilities." Cain continued in Gumball's mind.

Whisperer bolted towards them, wielding his sword intensely. Cedric stepped forward, holding his dagger. The grip reversed, blade pointing downward as the edge oriented away from his body. As they collide, their blade crossed, clinking on every strike. Cedric was simply overpowered and almost pushed off his feet. Stella had been readied to aid him.

"Gumball," Cain called in his energy particle spiritual form like Cyrus but in bright blue color. Jason and Carrie seemed to stare at him as his voice echoed.

"You have to extract him out of Zach," Cain added.

"Zach has shown an intention of ruining my lifestyle. Why would I do so? As a matter of fact, he might work with that "Thing" against us!" Gumball retorted, still couldn't put Zach out of his mind.

"If that "Thing" harvests Zach till dry, he will become a greater threat than any being in this world."

Gumball hesitated, clenched his teeth. He thought for a while before considering and finally; he decided to do it.

"How…?" he muttered, unwillingly.

"Just get your paws on him. I'll force him out," Cain replied.

Gumball stared at Whisperer, confronting Cedric and Stella without difficulty. He grasped, ignoring them while charging towards Whisperer and held him firmly around with his arms to prevent him from breaking free.

Whisperer snarled, struggling to free himself. He struck Gumball's shoulder with his elbow several times, but Gumball just held tighter.

"Now Cain!" Gumball shouted in pain but ignores it.

Energy particle surged into Zach's body. Cain was forcing Whisperer out of Zach; Cain managed to extract Whisperer out of Zach, but Zach merged back into Gumball as his alter ego. Gumball felt an instant sharp pain, followed a strong wave bursting out to the surrounding. Another mark was burned onto Gumball's left arm.

Standing in front was a nine feet tall shadowy figure, full of malice, anguish, and hatred. Gumball slowly backed off to his friends' side while keeping his gaze at Whisperer in his true form. "That's wasn't something I would expect…" Cedric muttered in shock, pulled another dagger with his left hand out of nowhere.

Six shadow tentacles motioned around Whisperer readied to strike on any given commands. Zach's voice rose in Gumball's thoughts. "The more energy he drains, the more powerful he gets. If you know what I mean…" the sound slowly faded as Gumball ignored.

One of the tentacles lunged towards Gumball, ripping the earth apart as it missed. Whisperer gave a loud shriek, causing reverberation in their ears as if their eardrums will rupture at any moment. All the tentacles began attacking simultaneously in long range from preventing them getting close to Whisperer.

While dodging from been hit, Cedric managed sliced off some the tentacles into segments but only grows back instantly. Gumball, Carrie, and Jason retreated away from Whisperer been confronting Stella and Cedric.

"What can we do?" Carrie cried, wanting to help the dual.

Gumball stood still thinking that it was all because of him that caused everyone to involve in his problem. He looked at Jason then to Carrie. "I have to fix this…" he said, running back to face Whisperer recklessly.

"Wait!" Carrie called, but he was far standing only a few meters away from Whisperer.

"Hey! You want me?" Gumball yelled. "Then come and get it!"

Whisperer looked at Gumball as all tentacles stopped and motioned around him. Suddenly four tentacles lunged towards, aiming directly at his body. Unfortunately, Gumball didn't have the time to react as it pierced through. His friends were petrified. Carrie sobbed as she looked away from Gumball's direction.

The tentacles hauled out; Gumball lay dead in a pool of blood next. Cedric was boiling, audacious; he charged at Whisperer without a second thought, wielding his daggers furiously. Stella bit her lip trying not to let her emotion overrun her consciousness and aid Cedric on confronting Whisperer.

Hope was diminished long after Whisperer turned into his actual form. Even Carrie skilled in umbra magic knew that she wouldn't inflict any harm on Whisperer due to him being something more potential . Whilst, Jason only realized that he has supernatural ability few days ago and has no idea what he could do other than teleportation.

 **Finally after so long, this chapter took the longest time to figure out how everything goes according to the story. It was truly a relief. Well, Merry Christmas!**


	13. Chapter 13

The ambiance of the surrounding shifted, filled with a terrifying sense that only the undead will roam the area unaware. Gumball laying on the ground, lifeless as his eyes turned gray, blood had already stopped flowing.

"Haven't realize who you are yet? Such a shame..." Zach said. The room was white and empty except Zach and Gumball.

Zach walked towards Gumball, who was laying on the floor eyes closed. Zach sat down beside Gumball right at the moment he opened his eyes.

"It's not shame," Gumball reminded, staring into the sky. "Redeem a dangerous beast is similar to a serial killer."

"Don't you talk crap. Just admit that you have no control of it," Zach countered, snapping his finger. The sky turned into a mirror, reflecting the image of Gumball on the surface.

"Look at you. Clueless and pathetic. If you keep limiting yourself, everyone will die!" Zach shouted.

Gumball stared at his own reflection, anxious and despairing as anger rose up his thoughts. There's scar on his left cheek probably caused by a knife and one of his eyes bloody red. "It's the same if I didn't limit myself. I'll cause a genocide and no one will live," Gumball said, urging himself to.

"I thought you are always determined but look at you now..."

"Indeed, I am. But, I'm determined to not let the beast seize control of my subconscious."

"If you want to live for another day, then do reconsider; if you don't, I will take control of you until you wake up from your little fairy tale." Zach disappeared right after he finished.

Gumball stares at his own reflection doubting while Zach took control, confronting Whisperer in Gumball's place. He got back to his feet despite been wounded heavily. Everyone shocked included Whisperer himself.

Zach approaching Whisperer with his eyes glowing in green; He cracked his knuckles with a grin. In a swift, Zach dashed in the speed of light from one point to another, creating many split images of himself as if they're real.

Whisperer lunged his tentacles at Zach but were dodged without any effort, not even close to hitting him. Zach reappeared behind Whisperer with his right paw clenched, sending an overwhelming energy as he attempts to hit Whisperer right in the moment he turned. Zach missed but the force drove Whisperer to some distance away.

 _I'm just plain useless..._ Gumball thought. His mindset was already twisted and no longer direct.

"Snap out, jerk!" Zach called in his mind, trying to bring Gumball back to himself. "If I continue, your body will break for sure."

Zach could felt aching over _his_ body every time he tackles Whisperer. Skin of both his paws started tearing and bleeding due to the shredding force of the impact he landed on Whisperer. Whisperer became slightly obnoxious, increasing the speed and accuracy of the tentacles.

 _His_ friends stood watching, Stella and Cedric both exhausted after been injured by Whisperer; They could only hope. One of the tentacles managed to cut by Zach's leg before launching him to the side with another tentacle. He slammed against a tree with his back and an amount of blood spilled out as a sign that if Zach pushes further, _his_ body will break instantly.

Zach tried to return Gumball to his self; he yelled furiously, telling Gumball that they're going to die. That moment, he felt something he had never felt before. Something that infused with an unpleasant miasma and malice that thrives o blood and soul. _Their_ body vanished as Whisperer struck the trunk of the tree followed by a thunderous roar after noticing Gumball went missing.

 **Gumball's POV**

I feel empty...nothing as if my heart had ripped hole. Silent still I stood, staring at my own broken reflection. Cold and darkness succumbed me. What have I done to deserve this?

 _Nothing..._

The reflection flashes, showing a more torn up version of me; with blood covered the left eye and sharp teeth exposed, grinning broadly with insanity. Is this what I look like?

 _Feel it..._

My right paw motioned across the mirror. Suddenly, it shatters into many pieces and the ground disappeared. Falling into the darkness, I saw images of a different world – bloody red sky, destroyed city, lifeless bodies scattered across the road – the future?

 _You are dying but your nightmares kept you alive. The strength you need, concealed by your own fear._

I tried to reach out, probably someone to pull my out of the darkness, but it continues to devour me. Out of nowhere, a hand reached to me, grabbed my arm and pulled me out of darkness. I felt a sense of hope ignited in my heart; The kind of hope that encourages a person on overcoming any impossibilities.

Slowly, I felt my feet standing on an invisible surface. Another person stood before me; he looked like me but only a little different. The color of his paws ranged from normal to darker blue on the fingers; the tip of his tail was white with three black lining.

"It's time for you to wake up," he said, snapped his middle finger.

 **End of POV**

"Argh...Gumball, where are you!" yelled Whisperer. The place where the maze emerged awhile ago, completely ruined; large holes were seen around the area.

"We have to do something," said a weaken Cedric. He pulled his last strength, daggers in his hands readied to confront Whisperer.

Stella stood in a fighting stance beside him. "Let's do this!"

Jason and Carrie watched them charging towards Whisperer. Stared helplessly, they prayed for Gumball's return.

The two yelled a war cry as they sprint across to Whisperer. Cedric aimed for the tentacles while Stella went for a direct blow. "Imbeciles..." Whisperer commented, commanding its tentacles.

Before they collide, a blue glowing energy appeared between them, intercepting their confrontation. The energy formed a sphere, bigger and bigger until a powerful wave released to all direction. Gumball emerged, faint light radiating from his and Stella stopped in front of him but the tentacles still continued in their direction.

They vanished almost instantly when it was about to hit him only an inch away. Whisperer shuddered, shocked that he felt strong spirit force coming within Gumball. Without hesitation, Whisperer manipulated and projected an energy ball the size of a tank at him. Like the tentacles, it vanished before coming in contact.

Gumball motioned his eyes across the air, summoning chains that pull Whisperer, preventing him from escaping. Then the ground ripped apart, hellfire dancing gracefully where Whisperer looked into his own death. A gateway to Hell. Whisperer struggled. "Release me!" Hell fire started surrounding him.

"On behalf of your sins, for hurting and terrorizing innocents and your previous attempts on murdering." Gumball said.

"You shall be BANISH to Hell." Whisperer was dragged into the ground by the fire.

"NOOOOOOOOO! I WILL BE BACK!" Whisperer yelled on the way down to Hell, slowly his voice started fading and then, utter silence. Whisperer was no longer to be seen and the ground restored to its original shape except the one caused by Whisperer.

Gumball, too, returned to his original self but collapsed afterward. His friends went to him instantly, not long before he was admitted to the hospital.

"Is he going to be all right?" Carrie asked the doctor, who was examining Gumball's heartbeat rate.

"Fortunately, yes. But, his heartbeat is extraordinary faint, near the danger zone," the doctor replied.

"Is he going to die?" Jason questioned.

"Probably. If he doesn't recover in a short amount of time, his life will be in danger."

"Let's give him some rest..., maybe he will patch himself up," Stella suggested as everyone agreed. They returned home shortly and decided to visit Gumball the next day. A person dressed in a cassock with his face under a hood came to Gumball's ward moment later. "So you're here..."


	14. Chapter 14

Gumball woke up in his dream with a doubtful expression. A sloppy Zach lying on a pure white surface with his eyes shut. "You're awake?" Zach said with one of his eyes open.

"I thought I was dead..." Gumball murmured, standing up and glanced around the surrounding.

"We are, dweeb. Luckily, you transformed into an angelic being, sort of; and kicked Whisperer's ass without breaking a sweat."

"Because of that, "we" are still alive," Cain cut in, appearing in his spiritual form. "During that event, your capacity has been bypassed to a certain level that could have detrimental your health."

"What do you mean?" Gumball asked.

"Power surge through your body will rupture your organs in a twinkling of an eye." Zach continued, casually floating into the air freely. "It will be the cessation of your life."

"Why…"

"In the meantime, I couldn't figure out why after you'd undergo changes," Cain said, feeling that some fragments of his memory were sealed away. Zach came face to face with Gumball while been upside down floating in the air.

"Why didn't you kill me, but instead fighting with Whisperer to take back your body?" Gumball questioned.

Zach's eyes narrowed. "I would have if not because of Whisperer took control of my body." Zach had thought of killing Gumball, but he just couldn't do so. That time, something stopped him. Whether it was him, or he just doesn't want anybody kill Gumball in his place.

Gumball smiled. "Yeah...yeah..., painful isn't? Aside from your 'encouragement', and taking my place to confront Whisperer, is that what your so called...kill?" He laughed, staring into Zach's cold eyes.

A blade appeared, floating and pointing at Gumball in point-blank. "Are you trying me?" Zach snarled.

He sighed in annoyance as the blade faded in sparkling dusts. "It's time for you to wake up…"

Gumball woke up, vision blurred and slight dizziness. He tries to analyse his surrounding, flicking his eyes repeatedly until his sight got better to see everything. Before that he didn't notice a figure was sitting next to him. He didn't notice at first sight until the figure spoke to him.

"Finally, you are awake," the figure gave out a relief, his voice was a little raspy but other than that, he sounded like a person from a royal family.

"Thou have lot to learn," without giving Gumball a second to question his name; he flicked his finger, teleported both of them to an empty dusty shack.

"Why are you bringing me here, and more importantly, who are you?" Gumball finally questioned.

The guy sneezed as he motioned his hand across a dusty table on the left side of the room. "Bless me," he muttered, turning to Gumball unhooded. "Nice to meet thou, I'm Hadley, Hadley R. Flamthriwold," extending his right hand with a broad welcoming smile.

Gumball shook and exchanged his name. "Now, sir…can you explain why you bring me to this old room with random books piled up everywhere…?" Gumball asked, observing the room.

"Was about to, be patience," Hadley replied, turned to clear the dust on the table. Then, he placed his right palm about the centre of the table and applied some force. Small magic circle followed with few smaller ones appeared below his hand, circulating as if were opening a complex gear mechanism lock.

"This hut was once belonged to a humble man, Adelius. But one day, he vanished without a trace. What he had left behind was his pride and honour for saving the entire race," he stopped, stepping aside what revealed an old looking leather hardcover and thick manuscript materialized from the magic circle.

Hadley picked the manuscript in his hand and showed it to Gumball. The cover was black with several rings engraved on the centre one after another. As Gumball stared at the rings, he felt a short surge of pain in his head. "You've picked up something didn't you?" said Hadley, setting the book on the table.

"Yeah…," the pain eased shortly. Gumball felt like he recalled something, maybe not his memories but Cain's.

"Before Adelius; Cain's former master, vanished. He tried to study the forbidden art of magic – the evil path; which led to his own corruption in the end."

"Why would he?" Gumball doubted.

"Adelius was proficient of all weaponry including sorcery even without training. He was also known to manipulate weapon out of thin. But what is impossible for him is learning the forbidden way," Hadley responded.

"It takes away the purity of your soul to learn except those who were able to retain without been corrupted." He added.

The two continued on for few more minutes until Hadley decided to bring them back. He handed the manuscript to Gumball before returning to the hospital. Gumball tried to open it but was sealed tight even by forcing it. With a snap and poof! They'd returned.

"See you next time," Hadley said, in a blink, he disappeared.

Gumball with the un-openable manuscript in his hand, stared aimlessly as his friends burst through into the room joyfully.

Carrie was the first one to hug Gumball with tears coursing down her cheek. "So glad you woke up!"

"You're out cold for four consecutive days. The doc, well, wasn't even sure you're gonna wake up or not...," said Cedric, the last to enter the room after Jason.

Carrie still haven't release Gumball and Stella stepped towards them. "Your organs were ruptured to a limit that your life could have ended, moreover, your diaphragm had punctured with countless of holes, completely cutting off blood supply and disabled you from breathing," Stella blurted. Carrie released Gumball finally. Her eyes still watery.

"Did I?" Gumball said in a humorous way.

"Com'on, we're serious. The doctor even wondered whether you have a weird syndrome because the tip of your tail has a white spot on it," Jason added.

Gumball took a quick glance at his tail. _Where have I seen that similar spot before?_ He thought.

Carrie hasn't spoken a word after the occasion. Outside the hospital, Max marched in with his military jacket alone. Slowly he paces through the corridor, he stopped in front of Gumball's room as he coughed to catch everyone's attention.

"Uncle Max?" Gumball muttered, couldn't believe his eyes, even more that he wears a military jacket.

"Hey! Kiddo," Max responded with a smile.

"Since when you joined the military?"

"Since you were born," Max said mockingly.

"You know him?" Jason asked Gumball just when Stella and Cedric was about to.

"Of course. He is Darwin's uncle."

"Oh..."

Stella and Cedric were confused, without any slight idea of what they're talking. "So…what are you doing here, sir?"

"First off, let me answer Gumball's question, I'd been an army for longer than you know as well as the director of Nexus, a non-government organization. Now for the reason why I'm here. Lately, there's been a creature making its way to find Gumball, Jason knows that. Few days ago, I'd examined y'all potential while confronting a "beast".

"Huh? What do you mean?" Cedric wondered.

"I'm taking you guys in, for safety," Max ended.

"But why? We only transferred to Milestone High like a week ago...? And more importantly...has anyone seen Frank?" Carrie spoken with her usual tone.

"Frank's outside waiting in a van," Max answered. "So, you guys coming?"

"Is there any objection?" said Stella. "I mean; we have school to attend…aren't we?" she added, looking at her friends with a few nodded in agreement.

"I'd inquired William to allow your stay in my HQ. And one more thing I'm wondering, what happened few days ago…and why Jason, you didn't emit the transmitter I gave you?"

"Erm…no…I accidentally left it in the school," Jason replied nervously.

Max sighed. "Coming?" he said, readied to leave the room as Gumball got up from the bed. Everyone nodded in reply and followed Max out of the hospital and boarded the van Frank was driving. Shortly, they started moving.

On the road, Max asked about the incident that happened few days ago. The teens elucidated the event to him which surprised him. "You guys fought a demon. A demon that could potentially kills any single one of you. That's reckless." Max was worried, soft scolding them for their actions, but on the other hand, proud of their bravery.

The road to Nexus was silent as the grave as no one has any subject to chat with. After a short while, Frank turned left where the road ends and continued along to a mountain. Before they crashed into it, a hidden tunnel opened from the rocky wall of the mountain as he proceeded. Dim lights were illuminating along the passage, behind them the wall closed shut. The teens filled with amazement except for Jason who already knew everything.

* * *

 _One…two…three…where the birdies goes? Darkness shall rise, shivering night will succumb with fear. Frightening as the clock chimes, where no sun will rise. Under my evil grin slept an unfavourable beast._ In a blink, a battle axe swung past a man's head, beheaded as bloods spurted all over the place.

"So…what's next brother?" said a female grey wolf about five feet tall. She held the axe and wiping the blood stain off the head of it.

"A blue cat? That's what Dad said…," her brother said, slightly taller than her.

"It's going to be fun! I'm sure Dad will be proud of us," she shouted happily as her brother stared into the sky, grinning.


	15. Chapter 15

"Welcome to Nexus." Max said, stepping out of the van as the others stood behind him. "The main branch of many small organizations around the world except Desert Brigade in Egypt which undergoes security enforcement after someone breached in and killed Kales Craig, a first-class archangel."

"What…there's archangel?!" Cedric surprised.

"No big deal when you're an elf and your girlfriend is a blackbuck," Frank said in a mocking manner. "This world is full of crazy stuff just so you didn't know about."

Cedric glared at him, looked annoyed at Frank until Max snapped him out. "Sometimes…you are making me think about kicking you out for days before inviting you back…"

"Pardon for my attitude," Frank apologised although not literally.

"Let's proceed," said Max, leading them to the mission control.

On the way, they walked passed and visited the armoury, tech lab, and the training ground which is half an average stadium area. Frank left the group to the tech lab as the group continues. Moments later they arrived at the metal door. "Have you guys ever heard of Legacy Inheritance?" Max said, stopped in front of the door.

"One person inherits their parents' legacy?" said Stella.

"No, child," Max shook his head. "Legacy Inheritance was a phenomenon that took place three hundred years ago. This event occurred on the same day Adelius went missing and little was known about the occurrence. I am supposed to meet him during that day but was summoned to another world to resolve a situation."

Max placed his hand on the digital board beside the door and a beep sounded. The door slid open. Max led the surprised teens in. The mission control consists of two rows; first is the conference room with the left wall made of glass, the second was the lower level where three groups were assigned to observe the happening of the world. Each group has their own task – analysers on the left, observers on the right and mission controller on the middle – and each group has three rows vertically and four rows horizontally.

"Follow me," said Max, leading them into the conference room and asked them to take a seat on the chairs surrounding the oval table in the middle of the room. Max sat on the far end of the table as the others on both sides.

"Now, let me continue my story."

"After I returned to Uriosik, everything was off the chart. No one seems to know Adelius nor does his existence. His apprentice, Zenith didn't even know about him. Moreover, I was exiled on the same day being accused as disruptor."

"That's why you came here?" Gumball cut in.

"Eeyup." Max nodded. "A few centuries later, a powerful demon emerged on the surface of Earth and caused chaos. It released a toxic gas that turns people into evil. It was unstoppable until Zenith, who gained near omnipotent power and banish it."

"That's awful…," Carrie muttered.

"What's your point on bringing us here again?" Jason asked awkwardly as he already knew.

"Oh well, that's enough for my story. Back to the point," Max pointed out of the window at the big screen attach onto the wall. "Take a look."

The teens turned to the screen, seeing Titan making its last appearance on the screen. "That's Titan. Deus class creature. Highly intelligent and strategic aggressor and not recommend to take it lightly."

"What is Deus?" Gumball asked, staring on the physical structure of Titan.

"DEUS is actually an acronym for Dangerous Extra-terrestrial Unidentified Specimen or in Latin, God, because of their unnatural strength and potential."

"How powerful are they?" Jason wondered.

"Depends. Commonly, one is enough to cause chaos in a big city as well taking down four warriors, two war mages and an insane number of mundane soldiers." Max explained.

"Wow…," everyone utter in unison.

"Titan was something different compared to most Deus we had ever encountered. Titan possessed the ability on taking other species' genetic code to strengthen himself such as developing longer or sharper claws, reform to take a nimble body structure and as well growing a pair of wings."

"Is there any way to kill him?" Stella questioned, tempted to know.

"No." Max narrowed his eyes. "His existence defies space and time, resulting an impossibility to destroy him. More so, from our previous record, Titan seems to alternate future timeline every three years."

"How is that even possible?" Gumball muttered much in fear.

"Titan co-exist between the present and three years after. The timeline alternates itself even though he is ideal."

"A gremlin," Stella blurted.

"Wait— so, you're saying Titan is a glitch?" Carrie retorted.

"Well, maybe he is." Max agreed. "You guys won't be here too if Titan didn't exist." That sentence caught everyone off guard. Everyone gave him a weird look before being told it was a joke.

"But FYI, Titan is still a puzzle to us..." Max strolled to the door. As he was about to turn the knob, someone came first, flinging the door open hastily. "Sir, come and look at this." Said Vio from the analyser group, his name tag pinned on the right of his shirt. Vio seems to be shocked.

Max knew that something was wrong as he followed Vio to his work desk located on the first row first seat on the right. "Max, you have to look at this..."

Max focused onto the screen which indicates Titan's temperature. Titan's temperature drastically decreasing over time. Gumball and his friends made it to Max side. "When did you get this data, Vio?" Max asked.

"Not long ago, about 20 minutes I presume. Before this, there was no sign of change in temperature, maintaining an average temperature of twenty-seven Celsius degree." As the temperature dropped to absolute zero, everyone was stunned. Titan is already stiff frozen and by the temperature, a single blow could shatter it into pieces. A brief moment later, Titan's temperature went back to normal almost instantly.

"How is that even possible...?" Jason wondered, seeing the line on the chart sprung back to positive.

Max immediately shoved the teens out of the room. "You kids go explore this place," Max said with a broad smile before the door slammed shut.

"Did he just..." Said Carrie, facing the hallway along her friends.

"Yup he did," Gumball answered.

Staring down the hallway, Cedric asked whether they should explore the area which they gladly agreed. The hallway was as quiet as a graveyard; eerie feeling lurks around the corner as the group ventures in the place. The whole base felt emptied. The group walked to the Training Facility, then a figure looked like Darwin but except his skin color slightly darker walked out of one of the many rooms in the section.

Gumball called out. "Alex?"

He responded, looking at Gumball's direction. The walking fish took a few glance, making sure his eyes not making weird illusion before started towards him. "It's been awhile since we last met! How's the family?" He asked, shaking Gumball's paws intensely.

"They're fine," Gumball replied. "No offense but you looked like a grilled fish…"

"Oh…I'd been under the sun for quite some time. Well, personal thing."

The others standing behind them speechlessly staring at them and their conversation. Alex didn't take long to notice the others standing before them awkwardly. "Wanna come inside?" said Alex, pointing at the room he just left.

"Ain't you just finish your training?" Gumball asked.

"I have the whole day with me, well actually, every day..." Alex replied.

"A life of a militarian," Gumball jested.

"I'm more like a mercenary rather than a person serving for military services." Alex invited them into the training room.

The room is actually bigger from the inside than they'd thought even though it was inside a mountain. Alex gave a brief explanation of why the room had such area of two football field. The room is actually between reality and dimensional space, making the room with desired space and not affecting the space inside the mountain.

Gumball heard Cain yawn inside his mind, assuming that he had just woke up. Cain took in the form of his spiritual appearance as well Stella's and Cedric's, Eldred and Cyrus. "So, that's rune spirit, the myth is true after all," Alex looked amazed.

"But, I thought they have a body in appearance." He added.

"Well child, we do have, just that showing ourselves as an orb exhaust lesser energy," said Cain.

"Oh..." Alex nodded.

Out of sudden, Gumball turned to Jason as their eyes met. Jason knew that he had some explanation to do, about how he came to Milestone.

"Say...how did you arrive here?" Gumball asked.

Cold sweat coated his face as all of the sudden, everyone was staring at him. Tension pumped up in his mind. His dead-pan face tells it all. With a deep breath, he began to explain. "That day before I arrive, I remember that I was sleeping with a wonderful dream. Then suddenly, everything became dark."

 **I still haven't go through everything in this chapter after finishing. Other than that, I have plans on revising and changing/extending some chapters of "The Seven Deadly Sins V.1" with few extra chapters that feature a crossover with an upcoming Sci-Fi, Supernatural fiction story. See you guys next time :3**


	16. Chapter 16

**Flashback**

The sun, the moon...wait...that's getting far-fetched. I wondered, staring into the sky. I swore it was just a dream but, that eerie feelings given off by those eldritch screeches emitting from all side really ticks me off. The snowy white moon and the darkened sun, causing a very phenomenal atmosphere. Spreading in front of me was a sky blue sea and both celestial figures hanging on each side of the horizon, showing only half of its heavenly structure. I was standing on a two-square meter rocky land with warm air breezing through my fur. Then a voice emitted from nowhere, the water ripped.

"Have you ever imagine your life being intertwined?"

"By the existence around you?" The voice shifted to a lower tone, or rather than, there's two person.

"The light."

"The dark."

"Born the twilight that brings the fear to those who undesired and hope to those who would cherished. Jason, the child of angel and demon, being an acceptance to both side but is negatively attracted to demons that thrives for power. You were supposed to die in an accident when you're 10-years-old."

"During that time when you were admitted to the hospital, many ghosts were waiting to devour your soul but the angel part of your soul refused to let you die. Doctors were unable to treat your injuries that could've rendered you handicapped."

I have no words to express such statement but I'm more concern about who I actually am.

"Who am I...?" I asked.

"You have to find out yourself..." The higher pitched voice replied.

The scene changed. Ruined buildings forming out of the ground along with a terrible ambience in the surrounding. Not only that it's disturbing but I felt something hiding in the shadow. I took a stroll down the uneven road.

As I approached a building in front of me, it collapsed and a shadow jumped right up of the highest chunk. I was stunned. Its red eyes gazing into mine, fear and anxiety filled me up. It seems like it was engulfed in dark flame as it slowly closing its distance between me.

Even though I tried to stand my ground, my body retreated away. Yet, my hand wanted to touch it. As it closing in to me, the flame slowly dissipating, revealing what appears to be a wolf with grey colour fur. The wolf at in front of me, probably seeking affection. I crouched, staring into its eyes. It amazes me, its eyes were dazzling. When I moved my right hand closer to the wolf, I hesitated to touch its head.

However, it didn't flinch but rest its head on my hand. Seemingly trusted me for who I am whether it knows that I did no harm or whatsoever. When it moved away, its body dwindled away into a cloud of white particles, circling around me. I felt a weird sensation on my right forearm. It hard to say that it was like something burning my hand but it does feel like it. It didn't last long until the particles faded.

I examined my forearm and there was a rune mark freshly printed. It looked symbolic but I have no idea what it was other than a tattoo. Shortly, the place began to crumble. The background was shattering like glasses and disintegrated into small particles.

Not knowing the ground below cracked, pulled apart into a wide gap as I fallen into the deep dark abyss of my dream. The lights that were gleaming down slowly shallowed by the darkness around me. Free falling into nothingness, I felt light headed. Strange memories that I don't remember being in flashed before me. There were two people. Is it... my past life? I wondered.

 **Flashback End**

"The moment I woke up with a sneeze, I'd already ended up here," Jason recalled, showing his mark to the others.

"Speaking of element of surprise, that's quite unbelievable. But I don't found anything dark as you mentioned in your story," said Gumball.

"That's no ordinary mark that I'd ever seen before," Cain remarked, examining the patterns of Jason's mark on his right forearm. It covered all side of the forearm and is indistinctly bigger than his.

"Of course we're no ordinary mark!" Said a sharp voice, just like the one Jason heard in his dream before taking form into a blue skin feminine figure with no legs like Carrie.

Everyone were surprised as "she" emerged from behind of Jason. "Eh?" Everyone uttered in unison.

"What do you mean "we"?" Cedric blurted. "It's only you..."

"Oh! My little sister is a little bashful —"

"Liz!" Shouted a voice as she emerged been slightly shorter than her sister and lighter skin tone.

"There my little sister." Liz snuggled her in her brace. "I'm Elizabeth and this little one here is Ella."

"Twin?" Stella muttered.

"Indeed we are," Liz smiled as she releases Ella.

"Is that common...?" Cedric asked.

"Technically, no," Cain replied. "I have never encounter one before as if they weren't even existing."

Jason was left out, remained silent while listening to their conversation until Max entered the room with urgent matters. "Alex!" He called, catching everyone's attention. "I just received info from Sky Eye about a beheading case happened recently in Milestone city and I think you might be interested."

"You want me to check it out?" Alex blurted.

"Well if you insist, I'm totally fine. Or, I could send other people to survey the area —"

"No! I'll check it." Alex immediately accepted the task without second thought.

Before Max left, he faced to the others. "If you guys wanna' follow, go ahead." He smiled. "It's better to be in group rather than being a lone wolf." He left while the others staring at each other.

It's an opportunity, they thought except for Alex who's probably been doing this kind of job for quite some time now.

"Are you guys sure want to follow?" Alex concerned. "You might lose your life out there…"

"Well, I already lost mine not long ago…" Gumball noted, recalled being pierced by his heart. If not for Zach, he would have been in his dead bed by now.

"But, I heard that rune wielders don't actually die unless their runes were distorted or ruined —" said Alex.

"or been extracted," Liz cut in while Ella was no longer in the scene. "Hey kiddo, you're right but not entirely right. Rune wielders die when they are fatally injured like been ripped in half, have their head chopped off and many more including been disintegrated. Injuries like piercing through their heart won't actually kill them well at least not depending whether it's a magic-based or physical but it certainly reduced their healing factor and increased magic consumption for recovery." Liz explained much to everyone amazement.

"So, I'm just lucky?" Said Gumball.

"Perhaps. Your magic level is in no good shape from what I could tell," Liz noted. "Any form of over-exceeding magic usage will put you into a temporary coma state."

"So much to knowing that I'm "Immortal"," Gumball was a little disappointed, having thought of cutting off his legs and watching it slowly regenerating back to normal.

"That includes us too, right?" Said Cedric, implying him and Stella, and Jason indirectly since they fall into same the "category".

"Fortunately, yes. If that's all you guys had questioned, I might as well return to back into my rune and rest —"

"Wait, one last question..." Cain said. "What do you mean that you're no ordinary rune?"

"Well, there are subgroups as if you don't know about it. Though, I'd forgotten which one that me and my sister as well as Eldred and Cyrus belong. But, it's definitely not from the same as you," Liz replied and in a poof, vanished back into Jason's mark. It's weird that how Liz could tell Eldred and Cyrus from their host even if they had already returned into their rune, they thought.

"Runes are separated into groups?" Stella muttered.

"It's a way to divide people who has unique potential, I guess...?" Carrie assumed, who been keeping silent in the room for quite awhile now.

"But they're just rune..." Said Cedric.

"Cain?" Gumball called.

"Well I can't say that there are subgroups, but there are different ranks for rune," said Cain.

"Huh?" Everyone looked doubtful. Everyone's mind have one thought, runes are runes, there's nothing special about them.

"Rune normally start out small." A small rune appeared in front of Cain. "And grow by the carrier's capability or potential." Details were adding onto the rune when it grows and until it stopped.

"The last stage may looked different than the first one though it's impossible to achieve that stage." The rune reformed into a new pattern. "Now for the groups or also known as specialty, the councils have each individual with their own interest in one field such as elemental magic, psychic and others separated into different group. Though one can truly master all fields but it will take a lifetime."

"It's just a group to separated people with their natural talents," Said Jason.

"Indeed," Cain agreed. "The councils had thought of that it will be easier to handle. However, it's been many years and I have no idea whether this sorting system still functioning or not."

"Anyway, should we be going? There's a killer on the loose..." Alex reminded.

"Sure!" Gumball shouted.

"You seemed excited..." Cedric noticed Gumball's tone swing in an instant.

"Well, it's a "military" mission. Who wouldn't be happy if they were to partake?"

"Those who are reckless and bold and not those who don't have a death wish." Stella quipped.

Cain returned back into its rune while Alex led them to an elevator to unknown location at the lowest level, underground of the base consider that the base itself is already inside a mountain near Milestone Village.

They boarded the elevator and the metallic door shut tight and started moving. There was a vertical pushing motion affecting them slightly. "Is this a vertical elevator...?" Jason wondered.

"Yup," Alex nodded.

"Where does it take us to?" Gumball asked.

"Milestone Museum of Ancient Artefacts."

"Why?" Cedric asked.

"Because it's located at the core of Milestone City and is twenty kilometers directly facing Nexus Headquarter to the North West."

"How fast does this elevator goes?" Stella questioned.

"1.667 meters per minute, though it can goes even faster."

"About 12 minutes," Carrie estimated.

"Anyway, how long have you been in this... job?" Gumball asked.

"Hm... Dad started to train when I was 7, then he brought me in when I was 10...6 years I guess," Alex replied much to everyone amazement.

"You never been to school before?" Said Carrie.

"Nah, Dad said it was a waste for my potential."

"Tsk, if only my father was like his..." Cedric muttered as Stella elbowed his stomach.

"How was it like to be in this kind of place anyway?" Gumball asked.

"Normally I would just wander aimlessly around the headquarter since I wasn't assigned to any specialty and only go out for mission when been called. Pretty much like a mercenary except without bounty."

"Wow, that's boring as hell," Jason said, unamused.

"Indeed it is, though, I do stroll around the city when I'm really bored. Yet, I always have to worry not to be killed during mission — serial killer, supernatural phenomena, ghost, monster, just to name a few."

"So it's basically a job that sent you to the gate of hell..." Stella remarked.

"In exchange for hundreds of life to be save, I won't hesitate to die with honour."

"I agree," Carrie said.

"Just now Max said that there's a beheading case going on...do you think it was caused by someone with unique ability?" Gumball thought.

"Who knows, it's better to be prepare to face the unexpected," Alex reminded.

"Cain?"

"Nope, I didn't pick up anything at all," said Cain as his rune blinks.

"Me either," said Eldred and Cyrus in unison.

The elevator stopped. The force jerked them slightly towards the direction of the resultant force. Cedric slammed the metal door of the elevator before it opens as his friends giggled. "That will leave a mark," Alex joked causing Cedric to glare at him.

They left the elevator and the metal door closed, returning back to the headquarter. "Is this the basement? The room is kind of small..." Said Jason.

"Well, it used to be an archive where ancient encyclopaedias about other universe were kept including sealed magic manuscript. Everything was moved back to the headquarter and be kept from everyone including the Government himself. This room then altered only for the elevator usage."

"Are they really that classify?" Stella asked.

"It is. Who knows if someone get a grip on one of the encyclopaedias. They could try to create a portal."

"Is the even possible? It will take them forever," said Carrie.

"There's a portal blueprint on every encyclopaedia and each of the portal can only travel to one particular planet depending on the portal design."

"I'm just curious. Who build this room in the first place?" Gumball wondered.

"Dad told me that William Mirthdane built it as a secret monument of his achievement."

"Principal William!?" Cedric and Stella said in unison.

"Yes. He may look like a man in his early-40 but his age is another story."

"Wow, I'm flabbergasted. So, all of those is his?" Said Cedric.

"Dad never told me whose work are those but William is no exception. He may own a few, if not, most of the encyclopaedias since he also been one of those who could wield magic and other stuff."

"I may never look at Principal William the same as before again," Stella amazed.

"Can we leave this place? I'm getting claustrophobic here..." Said Jason.

"You have claustrophobia?" Said Gumball.

"Nah, its actually quite uncomfortable that five of us are standing in this small room and don't you think the air is getting hotter in here," Jason noted.

"Let's get out of the museum. We'll do a quick survey of the alleys before heading back," Alex suggested and no one seems to disagree.

They got up to the ground floor of the museum and exited by the entrance door. Standing in front of the museum, Alex divided them into two group with Jason paired up with Stella and Cedric while him, Gumball and Carrie.

"We'll only survey the alleys, get it?" Alex reminded but Cedric already ventured out.

"Hey! Wait up!" Stella shouted, catching up to him but left Jason behind with the three.

"Is he always like that?" Alex asked, staring at Cedric.

"We only met them for a few days," Carrie replied.

"Let's get moving too." The four set out while Cedric and Stella were no where to be seen in the background. Both sides of the street were built with stores until the end and filled with civilians.

As they proceeded down the street, Alex took a turn into an alley with the rest following him. "Let's start from here," he said.

"How big is Milestone City?" Jason asked.

"Pretty much as big as Elmore if I would say."

"Then we will have to spend more time... " said Gumball.

"Nope, there's a history in this city's alley," Alex noted. "It was dated back a long time ago when the alleys were a thing in this place, creatures are very common to be seen every few hours. The source of their appearance was the magic of the core of this place that runs through the alley."

They ventured into the alley while Alex continued his story. "Unlike any other magic that spread like wildfire, Milestone's is different. Its magic runs in a spiral, a connection throughout the place's alleys. And even worst, it is also one of the place that's directly linked to Dealliurm, the Underworld of Uriosik. The world where rune wielder, Ruield and animal tamer, Xeniorr lived in, created by them to keep themselves hidden but also monitor Earth from potential threat."

"Why will they create another world for themselves anyway? Wouldn't staying on Earth will just be fine?" Carrie asked.

"Who knows. Back to the topic," said Alex, entering a new alley after an exit of the previous one. "These alley were connected closely to one another, enabling a circulatory system for the magic to flow non-stop and to keep the link open in every circumstances. However, the Mirthdanes noticed such phenomena and did something truly impossible—alter the whole city. They completely rebuilt the city and reduced the amount of alley to achieve a slower constant flow rate of magic in and out of the core."

"To reduce the activity of the link with Dealliurm," Gumball blurted.

"Exactly," Alex nodded. "With the activity been reduced, weaker creatures can no longer enter due to low magic transference and high magic consumption. Since then, death cases have been lowered significantly. Apparently, the Mirthdanes thought that it wasn't enough and they wanted death population to be as low as zero. So, they build a museum and redirect the core's magic to put up a barrier throughout the connection and the place itself."

"Do you know why this place is called Milestone?" He stopped. "This place is called Milestone because it's the place where people had made an achievement that brings them closer to their dream. It's a land of miracle where even one percent of luck could be put to the test on changing a person's fate."

Cedric and Stella suddenly appeared out of the shadow in front of them. "Damn that was cold!" Stella shivered.

"I told you that it was optional but you insisted," said Cedric. He turned to them. "We have already surveyed every alley around the city."

"After we had only arrive for about 20 minutes," Alex wondered how Cedric was able to move around the city in such shot amount of time.

"I'd forget to mention that I could travel by the shadow around me," Cedric blurted, boastfully but no one cares.

"So, do you found anything?" Alex asked.

"Apparently no," Stella replied.

"Let's head back, there's no hope tracing any abnormalities due to magic interference," Alex suggested.

"Tsk...," Liz emitted, sounded frustrating though only Jason could heard.

They returned back to the elevator. When Alex pressed the button, the time taken for the elevator to arrive is faster than the last time they used to reach the museum.

"So they fixed the elevator..." Alex mumbled.

"Huh?" Everyone uttered in unison, as if they had just survived a defusing bomb in the nick-of-time.

"Nothing! Let's head back shall we?" He smiled while everyone nodded, boarding the elevator.

 **Somewhere else...**

"The soul of this place is so weak."

"We have to wait, dear sister. I sensed a group of powerful soul and we will harvest them for Master's restoration."

"Aw... Can't we do it now?"

"No, not yet. It's still not the best timing."

"Tsk... I guess we have to harvest a few more weaklings isn't it, brother?"

"Yes. Just endure for a few days, we'll get them soon."

The voices echoed in the empty vast room, they grinned under the shadow hiding their face except the fangs.

* * *

 **I think I have left something behind while typing. So, pardon for my mistake. It's been quite a long time since the last update. As soon as this story ended, I will revise its sequel and the other version which is my first story and probably change a few things. Though, I'll have a full re-update the other version. During the meantime, I won't be able to touch the sequel's volume 2.**

 **P.S - Anyway, I'm drawing out Elizabeth and had posted on my DeviantArt profile(ColinSheridan). It's still the first draft and I used her as a way for me to improve my drawing skill(Hopefully).**

 **Anyway, see you guys later :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**In this chapter, I'm trying to expand the races in Uriosik further as only three races are been announced so far. There's a lot more things to elaborate such as their cultures, places and creatures. However, I'm putting everything on a hiatus(probably) but I'll still work with new chapters and will post them altogether perhaps near the finale of the story.**

* * *

"We're back!" Alex marched into the Control Center while the group followed behind him. The scene looked as busy as usual, everyone observing their desktop and marking any unusual changes if there is.

"Anything suspicious?" Max asked, looking at the big screen.

"Nope."

"I thought so... come and take a look at this," Max said, an image projected on the big screen and what appears to be two silhouettes and one appears to be holding something looking like an axe. The image itself was slightly static and unclear. "This was captured around 3:00 AM in the midnight."

"Is there any way to make them look clearer?" Stella wondered.

"We tried every possible way but to no avail. There seems to be an electric field around them that ruined the image."

"Created by magic?" Carrie noticed weird outlines around silhouettes though it's hard to distinguish.

"The camera usually captures image along with portion of one's aura in outline. This one is hardly recognizable. Perhaps it was established by magic but yet, they might carry a device that disturbs other electronic devices and also, they might cover themselves in clothing," Max described besides impressed by Carrie's perception.

"They might appear again later this midnight, I'll run a survey down the alleys throughout the night," Max announced.

"By yourself?" Alex concerned.

"Yeah... I can't afford to lose any more staff in this quarter," Max noted after the teams that were sent to pursuit Titan lost their live.

"But dad..."

"Don't worry Alex, I'm experienced enough to handle this kind of situation."

"Sir, we would like to help," Cedric suggested.

"The more the merrier eh? No, I can't let you guys accompany me." Max tried to convince them, but neither any of them backed out.

"But people out there been beheaded, wouldn't their family feel the same? Cedric argued.

"You all have a destiny to fulfill. The fate of this world depends on all of you," Max countered. "And I'm not going alone."

"Huh?" The group emitted in unison, wondering who was going with Max. The metal door behind them slid open and a person walked in. He is covered in black color red lining reptilian scales. Gumball instantly recognized who he is, Hadley

"Am I interrupting something?" He said.

"No, not at all. How was your day?" Max greeted.

"As usual, meditating and visited Gumball early this morning."

"But... neither of us saw you walking out of the hospital..."

"You've forgotten that I can create a gateway," Hadley reminded.

Jason nudged Gumball, asking to know him as the others were curious too.

"It's been quite a long time since we met after you went missing for roughly twelve years from now," Max smiled.

"I have to undergo trials in my homeland to possess my family's curse," Hadley said.

"The Curse of Flametriwold?"

"Nope, the curse was named by my forefather, Texeris Aerinyth Etheladan Gelide Zerrath Naraith Flathriditus Vandriwold, The Curse of Flavandritus."

"Are all of your ancestors having long names?" Max jested.

"Nope. Apparently, he was the only one with the longest name in the Flavandritus Bloodline while others are only about two to four."

"Hm…. That curse rune of yours, did it bring any harm?"

"Other than keeping me immortal and amplifying my fire magic for over a thousand-fold or even greater, I guess there is no other bad side effect though being immortal is a suffer itself," Hadley explained.

"Curse rune…," Cain mumbled.

"Cain, is that you?" Hadley heard and called him. Cain manifested into his spiritual form.

"The myth is true after all..." Said Cain.

"Myths are no longer folktale in Uriosik after you and Adelius been gone for decades."

"What is a curse rune?" Stella asked.

Before Hadley could answer, Max jumped in. "Curse runes are different than other variation of rune. They appeared to have bigger pattern. Most curse rune brings side effect to the wielder such as impulsive emotion and other symptoms. It grants immortality like any other rune but this one keeps you alive even when you're obliterated. How? Your astral from will be pushed out and your body will be recreated before entering them. For those who despise their life, this will certainly make them miserable as they can't suicide. Curse Rune also augment your magic power like Hadley mentioned."

"So, it can save you and torture you at the same time?" Carrie thought.

"Imagine you're stabbed to your death and then been brought back alive only to be stabbed again. What would you feel?" said Hadley.

"Frustrated?"

"Exactly. There's a limit for how many times you can die in a row. The more you die, the more you're losing your sanity. In the end, you're nothing but a psychopath who kills for self-pleasure."

"That's awesome," Jason mumbled. His friends stared at him with slight doubt.

"Sorry... I love to see people who kill other people just for fun, er … erm … never mind me," Jason hesitated.

"How can one redeem themselves after losing their sanity?" Gumball asked, ignoring Jason.

"They can't," Fear poured into their heart when Hadley's voice changed to a deeper and serious tone. "Once they were driven by insanity, killing them is the only viable option to end their misery."

"Couldn't we bring them back by entering their mind?" Stella argued.

"If you attempt a link with their mind, you will be consumed by their despair and thus killing you during the ceremony," Max noted.

"Anyway, what do you acquire for my assistance?" Hadley asked.

"I want you to follow me down the alley tonight, are you okay with that?"

"Sure. I don't have any particular plans on my schedule anyway," He pulled a smile at Max, agreed his request before turning to Jason with a straight-face. Jason felt his skins crawled back while his muscles stiffened until Hadley looked away. The atmosphere given out of Hadley was utterly disturbing to Jason. "See you later."

Hadley dawdled to Jason, stood beside him as he whispered. "Thee shalt be wary of what's lurking inside of thou." He left the room afterward, leaving a doubtful half-wolf half-feline with unanswered question.

"What was that about...," Jason muttered.

"Oh, trust me he means no negative remark on you. As a matter of fact, you should listen to what he said to you," Max explained with a smile.

"Who was that guy?" Stella asked.

"Hadley Roth Flamtriwold. An old acquaintance of mine who assisted me in the cases of hunting Deus," Max replied. "He's one mysterious person I would rather say, oversee someone's pros and cons without fault."

Max read the time on his watch, noting the group that it was already six in the evening and they need to let themselves get some rest. Frank drove them back while Max was visited by a mysterious silhouette who came into personal space without anyone noticing, nor does the metal door slid open when he enters.

"The future's faith lies in their hand. Wouldn't letting Titan reset the timeline will be the best option?" said the silhouette.

"It's still too early to judge them, especially Gumball and Jason who are still new to their rune," Max replied.

"You're blinded by the fact that Cain is the "manuscript" of sorcery and weaponry…"

"I'm not blinded by the fact Cain is a Converted. Ironic, his ability is the exact equivalent of Zenith before his corruption."

"Still, he lost his memories while knowledge been an exception during his Rune Transfiguration spell." The silhouette grieved, moving around the room.

"Ironically, wouldn't the people who knew about him will have their memories of him wiped?" Max noted.

"Not all. The closest person to him won't have their memories erased, that's the rule of the old Rune Transfiguration spell."

"That kinda' explain much to why I remember having some great time with him. He's a great man with great power and his affiliation with The Order. Though, his background is a shade of mystery."

The silhouette chuckled, "Why do you always love to explore someone's history? Is it a hobby?"

"Well, knowing someone from top to bottom except something unnecessary is a great deal for knowing their personality."

"The way you're phrasing it makes me think that you're a stalker or evil schemer," the silhouette joked.

"Hm… Wouldn't that makes you a pervert if you can go through my thoughts?" Max countered.

"Firstly, I don't "browse" your thoughts. Secondly, I'm just a freeloader in your body and I'm not interested of your 'fishy' appearance," the silhouette maneuvered around Max.

"It's very inappropriate to make such a comment on someone's appearance…how about you? A woman who speaks with a strong male vocal in order to act highly among others… Where are your femininity?"

"There! There! Talking about who being the rude one in the first place—" Max cut in, settling the atmosphere to deadpan.

"Athena… could you do me a favor?" He asked the silhouette as it stopped moving in front of him.

The silhouette's tone shifted to a more feminine pitch but still a little tomboyish, "What is it?"

"Could you help me retrieve the Keystone of Axartos?"

"I thought all of the keystones were destroyed after The Order announce to ban it from usage due to its potential threat to the Alturian…," Athena doubted.

"Not all exactly. I created the last one with the only materials left, stashing in my old house. You've been there, don't you?" Max responded, clearing her doubt.

"You mean the house that you built inside a cave with a hole on it?"

"Yes," Max nodded.

"How could I forgotten, I was sent there to exterminate "Wanderers" by The Order few decades ago, prior to my death anyway…," Athena was slightly aggravated as she recalled her past.

"At least you have the amount of time to manifest into your Astral form. To be honest, Wanderer have been gathering around that spot since after I left, consuming the cave's self-sustaining life force."

"Why do you leave in the first place?" Athena questioned.

"It's a long and boring story that you don't want to hear. By the way, you can just simply browse it in my memories," Max replied.

"I'll pass. Memories can be altered, so it may not be hundred percent true," Athena floats slightly away from him as she glanced to the monitor from the window of the room.

"Will you help me?" Max pleaded.

"Depends… I still hate that place as it is overrun by Wanderers," Athena replied, fixed on the monitor.

"Don't worry, they won't harm Rune spirit and the keystone will always keep on shining to aura flow," Max said, trying to convince the reluctant spirit.

"Why can't you retrieve it yourself?" Athena wondered, shot him an unpleased look.

"I can't. My body is too messed up after wrapping to many other worlds and dimensions. There is a possibility that my body will be teared apart if I were to go there…"

"So that's how you got into such a 'bad shape' by abusing the 'warp' too much… be grateful that you are still alive anyway," Athena mocked him lightly.

"Thanks to that scum who puts me on a goose chase across the universe until it meets its own death at the hands of the Alturian. I'm just a soul inside an empty vessel, if I have to put it that way," Max felt a little relief but still shown little concern of his well-being.

"For a subspecies of the Daimόnicidiae or so-called demon-ant hybrid, how strong are they anyway? I mean, I saw them in a hand-to-hand sparring but I never once spar with them," said Athena as she floats beside Max.

"Just like normal ants, they can lift things greater than their mass. But, I wouldn't treat them as an 'ant' due to their overall 'good-looking demonic figure' apart from the antennas sprouting out of their head…"

"You sounded like you're insulting…" Athena sighed.

"What's worse been a good-looking ant than fish head with flexible arms and legs?"

Athena laughed, "You're right."

"Though, you wouldn't want to be in a competition for a boyfriend with the girls of that race…." Max noted as Athena stared at him weirdly.

"Females are ridiculously aggressive and energetic compare to males, though, they'll eventually become less aggressive but softer after having a family."

"Why would I!" Athena shouted in his subconscious as to not bringing up any attention.

"Would you help me?" Max changed the topic, back to his request.

"Sure… but in return, I'll have a week for myself."

"Deal," the silhouette immediately vanishes from the room as Max prayed for her safety.


	18. Chapter 18

**This chapter will kick start the hiatus. During the meantime, I will revise every chapters as most lack of something or unnoticed mistakes. Not to mention, I'll remake my first fanfiction, making it an alternate version to this one. Anyway, Have Fun :)**

Athena teleported herself outside of Max's hideout in Uriosik. There's no significant changes other than tree roots covering the entrance of the tunnel pathway to the hideout. Just standing outside the hideout, she has already felt an unimaginable amount of magic scattering across the place. Since she was intangible, she phased through the root covered entrance. What amazed her inside the cave is it filled with beautiful symbolic creatures that is far beyond her expectation.

 _Is this their actual appearance…?_

She scanned the area, observing the creatures' behavior. They're nothing but pure elegance creature moving around the place, posing no sign of hostility. However, Athena set herself high in awareness with the feeling that the creatures might be hiding their "true" nature.

She ventured deeper into the house in the middle of the room, ignoring the creatures. She recalled what Max told her, _the keystone will always be shining if there is magic in the area_. There are only one floor and a few couple of rooms and a basement. She went through every room but not a single thing is glowing. Then, when she tries to phase to phase through the stairs of the basement, she noticed that she lost her intangibility while her levitation still works. She knocked onto the floor head first and nearly yell at Max for not telling her about this.

As a result, she had to take the stairs down the basement beside the chimney in the living room. However, it was a long way down and she did not want to take any risk floating down as she feels that she might lost her levitation too. The worst thing to happen to a spirit is losing both intangibility and levitation. She floats down the slabs until reaching ground level, appears a door as she pushed open.

"What the hell!?" the room is lit with many shining keystones, another thing that she is not inform by Max. She yelled in irritation as she scanned the room from left to right, each of it shines like a moonstone under the moonlight, even worst, it's in multi-color. "I am so going to kill you, old man…" she murmured.

"Oi! Do you care to explain this mess?" she shouted at Max in his thought, projecting the scene to him.

"Erm… look for the one shining in white color. To be honest, I did not expect that to be happened…," Max replied to her with his thought.

"No wonder this place feels auric and soothing, it was all because of these keystones that convert negative aura to positive. Moreover, the wanderers appear to be different than what I saw. But… are you sure taking the keystone won't cause any bad reaction?"

"I can't guarantee it won't cause any side effect since the keystone was only recorded to be able to track negative energy and also energy conversion. We have no idea how much energy it can converts where no equipment could measure it."

"Great…" Athena muttered, cutting off the connection. She began scavenging the glittering stones one after another until one shines the brightest in cyan color among the others. She floats above the keystone and grabbed it, expecting something bad will happen right in the moment. She paused for a moment, the keystone stopped glowing but nothing happened.

She sighed in relieve, leaving the basement almost immediately only to stumble to weird noises coming from outside the house.

"Get your asses working! We have to harvest all these souls for their energy," shouted from a man close by the house.

Athena poked her head slightly through the wall of the house, enough for her to take a quick glance of the commotion outside. Four men, doesn't seem to be armed with any form of weapons, except carrying a gemstone in their hands. They used it to drain out the essence out of the Wanderers, and as it does, the gemstone emitted a faint glow. "Shit… This is bad. If I get sighted, I'll begone for good..." She muttered, popping back into the room as she heard someone moving closer to the door.

"Tsk!" Athena immediately darted down the stairs to the basement after hearing the sound of turning knob; knowing there's no place to hide nor does she can blink herself out of the house due to high mana consumption in perimeter of the area.

Upon reaching ground level, she made immediate contact with Max, reporting her situation. "Staying down there for too long is no good as the keystones contained some amount of negative energy even though they convert them for starter. If taken lightly, they may tick off and suck everything into the void."

"Are you serious…?" Athena concerned, eyes widen when she heard the keystones are destructive.

"Dead serious… Just be careful," Max warned.

"Is there any way for me to initiate them?"

"There is but I will advise you not to do so…. If anything goes wrong, the last thing you'll see is nothing but darkness. However, they can be triggered periodically —"

"Someone's coming," Athena whispered quietly.

"Wait for me and don't do anything reckless, there's a vent underneath you. Hide under it for the meantime before I arrive," Max cut off their connection after he finished his sentence.

"Damn this staircase is so slippery and uneasy to walk, even worst…there's hole in it," the person snared.

Athena watched the person's shadow moving closer while she tries to find the vent around the floor but was hesitated to enter the energy stones filled room. The person was only a few slabs reaching the ground, hyping Athena but found it at least. Noticing that her tangibility slowly fading away, she silently pulled the handle surprised that it wasn't clogged and hid herself in it.

Footsteps echoed above her and slowly dismissed. "Ha! I think I hit the jackpot!" Said the person proudly upon his discovery.

"Athena?" Max contacted mentally again.

"WHAT?"

"Your status?"

"I'm hidden in the vent just like you told me to."

"I'll be there right about...," Max paused. "Now". A ray of light burst through the roof of the staircase, destroying the slabs and sent out a wave bursting to all direction upon reaching the ground level. The person was knocked to the ground, buried by the energy stones.

"Which dumbass dares to trespass into my hideout?" Max stepped out of the light before it dims out.

The person got back to his feet as he stared, dumbfounded yet his eyes filled with dread. "What the hell are you!?"

"Now you're being rude. First off, you and your shenanigans walk into my yard without my permission. Secondly, you're disturbing my ecosystem. And more importantly, who are you in the first place?" Max questioned, knowing Athena hiding beneath him.

"That's none of your business! As soon as we gather enough power, our master will be free!" He snared, pulling a machete out of magic particles emitted from his right hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Max advised. "Athena!" In a swift of wind, she bursts out to her "master's" side. Max casted a barrier, covering the taunting person along with the stones. Shortly after, a loud shockwave wrapping everything into nothingness leaving a huge hole and purple electric current surging around the zone.

Athena stared, petrified by the output of the keystones. "There goes my depository…" Max sighed, disappointed that it was used for something unnecessary.

"So… those energy deconstructed every particle in its radius?" Athena wondered.

"Including aura absorption. That's why I told you not to do anything reckless even though you're an Astral entity. As long as your presence are there, you're going to be devoured no matter what."

"Say… just now you mentioned that this is "your ecosystem" … What do you mean?" Athena doubted, she feels like there's some connection between the "Wanderers" and Max.

"I should have told you about this...," Max grieved. "The day before your raiding, these 'creatures' had already been living there for quite some time because the aura in here is the only energy that could sustain their existence. I wanted to study them and learn about their existence and I came to discovery a new element that I have never seen before."

"Wait, you said they just started to appear since after you left this place? Are you hiding the truth that you preserved _them_!?" Athena's voice rose in anger. "My 'death'…it was all because of you…?"

"Please don't misunderstood. I'm not the cause of your death but someone else in The Order. Or to be more exact, a mole," Max explained. "Your raid was never a mission from the start, someone implemented something that corrupts aura of the surrounding in my hideout which resulted them to become outraged."

Athena clenched her teeth, enraged as she slowly losing herself but keeping herself silent. "During my time in dimension crossing, I figured out that something is wrong with The Order. More so, you should be thanking me that you aren't actually dead. There are several pillars marked with runes that pushes someone's Astral form if they are fatally wounded."

"But, how do you explain the disappearance of my comrades?" Athena recalled, tried to sob but no tears were running down as she had already lost her physical body.

"I could only presume someone collected them for their pure aura. However, I'm more surprised that you are still around. When I was on my way to meet Adelius, I was summoned by The Order. While making my way to the Lounge, I bumped into a little girl. Noticed how she shares the similar trait that only you have, assuming that she was you as I'm been gone for about 20 years or more. That girl could've grown on by that time now."

Athena calmed down, trying to comprehend Max's reason. "When I came back, my body is already experiencing negative sign of changes internally. However, I still retain my body before I look like this. The Order, only to notice it was no longer what it used to be."

"And then I met you… trapped in a ruined place with a 'shaggy' old man," Athena tried to pull a joke, recalled the time when Max still have a humanoid appearance. "The only way for you to unbind me from this place is by manifesting me…"

"I think that summarized our meeting. Everything sorted out now?" Max smiled.

The door of the house burst open with a blast of energy, a group of 3 man without their leader who was already become one with the nature came in looking for him.

"Did you have the keystone?" Max asked. Athena showed to him as he sighed in relief.

"That's it. Now, hand it over to me and stay inside me, I can't teleport us back as it takes time to refresh. We'll have no choice but to confront them," said Max, slipping the keystone into the pocket of his jacket.

"Whatever you are, you better come out!" shouted a man from the group, all seemingly armed with their weapons – one with a sword, another one with a spear, and the last one with a scythe.

In a flash, Max appeared at the center of them, catching their attention. He sprinted out of the house for a larger area to maneuver. "I don't know who you are but one of your partner is no longer to be seem."

Max indirectly enraged them as they stated darting charging towards him with their weapon. Dodging one after another swing, he began chanting. "The Serpent that covers the world, instilling fear that makes people cowered in cowardice with the potential to devour Earth —"

Max knocked them away as he dodges, distancing himself from them as he finished the chant. "I hereby require your aid to remove these obstacles that dishonor your greatness, Jörmungandr!" A shockwave pushes the three further away, a flaming blue spear emerged from his right hand with a smaller version of the serpent circling around him.

"The Spear of Midgard Serpent…but I thought you are a Ruield…," Athena was amazed. The first time she ever witnessed a mythical spirit.

Max glanced over the three individuals, slightly frightened by their dark purple aura; an aura that he had never seen before neither does it resembles the Darkness or Twilight element but, something more dangerously than those two elements.

The person holding the scythe began swinging around him, generating energy particles around the scythe in every motion. "Is that Umbra kinesis?" Athena wondered.

"No…, I don't know, this element…I have never seen or felt before," Max worried, stood in a piercing stance readied to charge towards them.

"Void Disruption!" He slashed his scythe at Max, launching a strong wave of energy slash.

When the slash is about to hit him, he lunged the spear forward, splitting it into two as it blows out two large holes on the rocky wall behind him leaving the same purple electric current.

"It's relatively similar to the stones….," Max presumed, however, there's no telling how powerful this element is. "Whether if they're using some kind of enchantment or anything, this is by far carrying the most destructive output I had ever met."

"The next one will put you out of misery," said the one with the sword. Max instantly threw a bolt of energy coming from his spear, impaled through the guy's heart.

"You talk too much," he noted, the looks that he gave are scarier than anything they could imagine. The looks that will send your body shivering in fear.

This enraged, watching their mate falling to the ground with a hole in his chest as the bolt dissipated. The two sprinted towards Max, swung their weapons continuously one after another pushing him backward with every blow.

He slammed the butt of the spear with the ground, emitting a strong burst of energy, enough to distant himself from the two maniacs.

"Listen, if you leave now, I wouldn't bother chasing you both and impale you with this spear. If you insist on fighting, I'll have no choice but to let this spear devour your pitiful soul," Max warned, trying to avoid fighting them.

"Like we would," said the spear wielding guy with the other one standing at his left. He rested his left hand on the other guy's shoulder.

"Impossible…," Athena muttered, shocked at what she had imagined is just a myth. The ability to merge into one entity.

"I should acknowledge what Hadley said earlier as I did not expect this to even be legit," Max said, staring at the two. The two began dissipating into particles, merging into one, slowly revealing each limb with a new appearance.

Spikes started sprouting out of the beings' back legs as well as arms. Other than that, there's nothing much changes on its face other than a few distinctive features, heterochrome eyes and a small demonic-like horn on the tempest. It also appears to be larger than before. Max tried to intercept the process but was pushed back by the force during the metamorphosis.

"They're demons from the beginning," said Athena.

"But the element that they wield… is something unusual for a demon…" said Max.

"I have a feeling they are a relative embodiment of the demon-ant species," Athena could feel the grudge bearing inside the demon.

"What makes you have that notion?" Max said, watching the metamorphosis as it slowly comes to completion.

"During my time becoming a Hunter, I studied their biology. It is stated that they can merge into one being whenever they want to. However, this will reduce their immunity towards basic magic but have higher resistance towards chaos level magic," Athena explained.

"But they don't seem to have any antennas, or might be they're another subspecies…?"

"Perhaps so. It's completed…," Athena noted, sensing an enormous amount of hate bearing by the demon.

In a blink, he was already standing behind Max, forcefully slapped him but was blocked. The force delivered by that slap send him flying across the place only a few meters from slamming into the wall behind him as well putting him away from the exist. "Damn, I never thought that packed so much energy."

"You could have ended them before reaching this stage," Athena sighed.

"That's not my style," Max reminded. "Anyway, I could return to my old human body to be honest." Max lunged at the demon, striking with full force consecutively only to hope that it will weaken it.

"Eh?"

"But it will definitely put me in a 'disadvantage' so nah, this fishy nimble body works just fine to dodge everything," Max doesn't seem to be distracted even though for his long period of not fighting, keeping up the pace of each strike consistently.

"I can't believe you could even compliment yourself during this kind of situation…" Athena sighed at Max in hopeless.

Max kicked the demon away, "Let's get out of here." He knelt down to a sprinting position, left hand on the ground with his spear on his right aiming at the exist. With a small push forward, he bolted in a lightning towards the exist, slipped past the demon.

Max caught its attention, without any needs to gather up energy, the demon fired a beam of dark purple ray at his direction. Max managed to block the ray with the handle of spear as it pushed him out of the cave. However, as the ray faded off, his spear undergoes disintegration.

"This is outrageous…," He mumbled with clenched fists. The spear faded into dust carried away by the breeze.

"It destroys a mythic weapon…" Athena shocked.

"For 400 years I left this place and now I'm seeing this creation of pure chaos…," Mana started accumulating around him and several rune symbols also emerged, orbiting as it flickers.

Athena was wondering what he was doing until she recognized one familiar symbol, the symbol that was used in transfiguration spell. "Break…"

The runes broke apart, swallowing Max in a flare of light as he slowly revealing his former human limbs. His jacket still remained intact while his lower body seems to be wearing a torn off shorts. He has yellow sclera eyes, shaggy untidy hair and a short goatee. The look that he carries is as if he had experienced countless of war, witnessing something far more terrible than anything in the universe. The kind of experience that wore him off from his undesirable tasks.

"How much burden you had carried over your shoulders to attain such power…," Athena uttered in her thoughts. Her emblem was burned on his right arm, glowing in light green.

Max fixated his eyes on the demon, calling out a golden disc that floats behind him with only a few hand gestures. Pointing with his first two fingers, the disc shot out a ball of flaming red energy which then separate into smaller version after reaching certain distant before the disc faded into dust.

The balls struck the demon but did no harm other than enraging it more than ever. "Let's end this," Max muttered, charging towards the demon with his hands engulfed in icy flames. The two finally came into collision. One who desired to kill while the other one desired to protect.


End file.
